Trump defends Russia diesel deal after bipartisan pushback: 'I made the right choice'

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media as he departs the White House on the South Lawn on October 10, 2026 in Washington, DC. Aaron Schwartz | Getty ImagesPresident Donald Trump on Monday defended last week's decision to temporarily ease restrictions on Russian diesel fuel exports after the announcement drew bipartisan criticism.Trump, in a Truth Social post, accused the media of hypocrisy for allegedly refusing to cover past purchases of Russian energy by the European Union."The European Union paid Russia 250 Billion Dollars for Energy, and the Fake News Media doesn't want to get near that story," Trump wrote. While the president did not specify, his figure roughly tracks with some estimates of how much the EU has spent importing fossil fuels from Russia since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The European Commission has launched a plan to phase out its dependence on Russian energy. "I made the right choice for the American People — ALWAYS, AMERICA FIRST!" Trump wrote in the social media post.Lawmakers from both parties raised concerns about Trump's decision to let Russia supply some diesel to the U.S. and global markets for the next six months. The plan received p...