Putin’s war in Ukraine was on life support. Trump has handed him a defibrillator

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Within hours of Donald Trump announcing a ceasefire in attacks on refineries, Russia unleashed a deadly attack on fuel dumps and facilities in Kharkiv. Trump’s scheme to lift sanctions on Russian diesel exports, ultimately to allow “millions of tons of oil to flow across the world”, was dead almost before it began.

At least six Russian glide bombs, old fashioned aerial bombs adapted to fly from aircraft like cruise missiles, slammed into Kharkiv’s main power facility overnight.

Russia had never assented to Trump’s original proposal, which came on Friday. The US president said that after a “very good” two-hour conversation with Putin, Moscow and Kyiv had agreed not to bomb fuel refineries – the energy Achilles heel of both economies. From this, sanctions would be lifted, with 300,000 cubic tonnes of Russian diesel being shipped immediately. The lifting of sanctions on the export of the “millions of tons” was to follow.

This is the story of three desperate men, Trump, Zelensky and Putin. Trump is the most desperate of the three, Putin the least. Shortage of diesel oil across the world has seen prices at the pumps in the US rise this weekend to $6.20 a gallon, and still rising.

Cost of living, and refined fuel, petrol as well as diesel, is now a major reason many Republican voters are turning against Trump. Polls suggest that the Republican Party may lose both houses in Congress in the mid-term elections at the beginning of November. A diesel on lifting sanctions on 300,000 tonnes of Russian diesel exports will make little difference at the gas pumps. It is too little too late.

Ukraine’s attacks on strategic infrastructure is having increasing effect as the quality and quantity of its long range attack missiles and drones improve. Some, like the FP-7 Flamingo, are home grown, while a new range of intermediate missiles has been greatly helped by European and UK technology, joint development and production. Some 40 per cent of refinery capacity in western Russia has been knocked out. Last week three crucial data hubs were destroyed in Russia.

For Ukraine, the situation is desperate, as Russia is now aiming deliberately at energy centres, the grid, transportation, and infrastructure of civilian life. Moscow has announced the intention to make Ukrainians freeze through the winter. Ukraine is short of adequate firepower to knock down cruise missiles like the Iskander and the new jet-driven Geran-2 drones.

Zelensky said Trump had thrown a lifeline to Putin by lifting sanctions on fuel exports. Trump replied that Zelensky should be replaced and was responsible for continuing the war in Ukraine. Nato, the EU, the European allies including the UK and Canada said Trump was wrong.

The Trump administration has also reportedly warned Ukraine and allies in Europe that the US could suspend intelligence sharing and European purchases of US weapons for Ukraine if Kyiv does not halt its deep strikes on Russian energy facilities.

Americans, American allies, and opponents across the world, now face an American president pursuing a disastrous war in the Middle East and a hopeless strategy, if it can be called that, in Europe. America’s fuel crisis is being driven by the choking of fuel exports from the Gulf and Saudi Arabia. Russia has advertised the intention of investing in more war, despite the crippling effect on the domestic economy.

With the Houthi allies of Iran bombing Riyadh’s main airport for the second time in five days, America faces yet more military commitment that it can ill afford.

The diesel peace gambit has not brought peace. There is more war on the marches of Europe and across the Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula. There is not an exit strategy or halfway decent peace plan in sight.

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