Jon Stewart tears into Trump’s Russian diesel deal as Ukraine crisis deepens

Jon Stewart blasted President Donald Trump's Russian diesel deal as "insane" and "incoherent," accusing the administration of undermining its own sanctions against Moscow.During Monday's Daily Show, Stewart played footage of Energy Secretary Chris Wright defending the agreement on Fox News, where Wright suggested encouraging Russian diesel exports could ultimately benefit Ukraine."Why would we motivate a group to sell diesel when we just put sanctions on them for selling diesel?" Stewart asked. "Doing the opposite within a month is insane. It is illogical. It is incoherent."Jon Stewart took on Trump's controversial Russian Diesel deal in Monday's episode of The Daily Show (Comedy Central)Stewart then used Russian nesting dolls to illustrate what he called the deal's "layers of stupidity," including Trump's argument that he did not want to drive Russia away from peace negotiations.The criticism followed Trump's decision Friday to waive sanctions against Russia and announce plans to import Russian diesel to lower US fuel prices.The move sparked bipartisan criticism from lawmakers who warned it could provide Moscow with additional revenue to fund its war against Ukraine.US-Ukraine relations under strainThe dispute comes amid worsening tensions between Washington and Kyiv, with Ukrainian forces reporting disruptions to Starshield, the military satellite communications network operated by SpaceX.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said restrictions had hampered his military's ability to intercept Russian drones.SpaceX chief Elon Musk, a Trump ally, has said Starshield is controlled by the U.S. and any limits are decided by the military and ultimately Trump (Getty)SpaceX chief Elon Musk said the US government controls Starshield's operational limits. Trump denied ordering restrictions, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the Pentagon oversees the system.Meanwhile, Trump indicated Monday that he was open to talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, potentially without Zelenskyy."I think it's time for somebody else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine," Trump told reporters.President Donald Trump speaks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as they meet to negotiate for an end to the war in Ukraine, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska (Reuters)John Herbst, a former US ambassador to Ukraine, warned that Washington's approach had reached a particularly dangerous point."At this moment in time, things look blacker than they ever had regarding this administration's policy towards Russia and Ukraine," he said.Trump has repeatedly criticized Zelenskyy while emphasizing his relationship with Putin, although his position has shifted considerably in the past.Republicans join calls for actionThe administration's approach has drawn criticism from both parties ahead of the midterm elections.Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick called for an investigation into the Starshield disruptions, while GOP Sen. Roger Wicker urged Trump to support a Ukrainian proposal to halt strikes on Russian energy infrastructure in exchange for American assistance intercepting Russian missiles.Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick is leading GOP calls for an investigation into the Starshield issues (Getty)Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Republican Sen. Thom Tillis also organized a bipartisan briefing with Zelenskyy.During the discussion, Zelenskyy warned that Ukraine had almost exhausted its supply of US Patriot missile interceptors and accused the Pentagon of delaying deliveries already funded by allies.The Ukrainian leader also condemned fresh Russian strikes that killed six people, including a mother and her young child."This is how Russia responds to sanctions waivers and reduced pressure," Zelenskyy wrote on X.Former US ambassador to Poland Dan Fried suggested Trump's actions appeared intended to pressure Ukraine while improving relations with Moscow."It all seems designed to put pressure on Zelenskyy and curry favor with Putin," he said.Fiona Hill, Trump's former Russia adviser, raised another possibility: that the president was seeking to discourage Putin from increasing military support for Iran amid the ongoing US conflict with Tehran.Trump appeared to acknowledge that concern Sunday, writing that Russia was doing relatively little to assist Iran compared with what it could do.Fried warned that the administration was failing to use its considerable leverage over Moscow."It's a mess," he said.