Trump Strikes 5 Million-Tonne Russia Diesel Deal as Ukrainian Americans Turn on Republicans
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Oct 30
Trump Strikes 5 Million-Tonne Russia Diesel Deal as Ukrainian Americans Turn on Republicans
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Oct 30
Summary
Pennsylvania Ukrainian Americans said Trump’s Russia diesel deal and broader turn against Kyiv are pushing longtime Republican voters toward Democrats ahead of the 3 November midterms.
Nearly 5 million tonnes of Russian diesel were approved despite US sanctions, while Trump also called for Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s replacement and faced accusations of curbing Ukraine’s access to intelligence and Starlink-linked services.
Community leaders in the Philadelphia area — home to about 60,000 people of Ukrainian descent — said the shift crystallized after recent Russian strikes hit Kyiv without advance warning, killing people in cars ahead of one local family’s son.
Eugene Luciw of the Ukrainian Congress Committee said more than 75% of Trump’s Ukrainian American supporters he has tracked have now abandoned him, arguing the diesel deal ended hopes Trump was merely bargaining.
The backlash adds to wider election risks for Republicans as roughly 70% of Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of the Iran war, the economy and inflation, issues also tied to higher fuel costs and tariffs.