Toronto Star
· collected 2026-10-12 · by Elaine Kurtenbach The Associated Press
Asian stock markets showed mixed performance on Monday as U.S. President Donald Trump's controversial plan to purchase Russian diesel drew criticism from lawmakers. Oil prices fell approximately $1.50 a barrel amid uncertainty over the Iran conflict. The Kospi index in South Korea dropped 3.1%, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng and Shanghai Composite saw slight gains. This development follows Trump’s social media announcement about a deal with Russia to supply diesel, aimed at mitigating rising fuel prices before the U.S. midterm elections.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-12,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
On October 9, President Donald Trump announced a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin, allowing Russia to export millions of tons of diesel fuel to the U.S. and global markets. This move aimed at lowering rising fuel prices ahead of the upcoming mid-term elections in the U.S., where affordability issues are a major concern for voters. However, the agreement faced immediate backlash from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who accused Trump of providing financial support to Russia, thereby enabling its aggression against Ukraine. Zelensky stated that such deals would fund Russia's war efforts and prolong conflict rather than resolve it. The deal involves an initial supply of over 300,000 tonnes of diesel immediately followed by additional shipments in November and beyond. In response, the UK Government pledged to maintain pressure on Russia through sanctions, aiming to increase the cost of Putin’s aggression while supporting efforts towards peace.
Written for “Trump Russia Diesel Deal” on 2026-10-12,
grounded in this article and the 37 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The article's own words the score was based on. Each is quoted
verbatim and was checked against the article text before being
stored, so you can find it in the original.
Leaning: leans left for article 73359 (medium confidence, 1 verified quote) · logged 2026-10-12
BANGKOK (AP) — Asian shares were mixed and oil prices fell about $1.50 a barrel Monday as U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to purchase diesel from Russia drew criticism from some lawmakers.
asserted
plan → fall → lawmakers
U.S. stock futures gained more than 0.3% after Wall Street finished its record-setting week with gains.
asserted
Street → gain → gains
This week will bring updates on inflation and retail sales in the U.S.
asserted
week → bring → U.S.
The biggest U.S. banks will report earnings from the most recent quarter.
asserted
banks → report → quarter
In Asian trading, South Korea’s Kospi lost 3.1% to 6,416.17.
asserted
Kospi → lose → 6,416.17
Markets in Tokyo were closed for a holiday.
asserted
Markets → close → holiday
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng edged 0.2% higher to 24,253.70 and the Shanghai Composite index slipped 0.1% to 3,809.08.
asserted
index → edge → 3,809.08
In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 surged 0.9% to 8,790.70.
asserted
ASX → surge → 8,790.70
Taiwan’s Taiex gave up 0.2% and the Sensex in India inched up 0.1%.
asserted
Sensex → give → India
On Friday, the S&P 500 climbed 0.6% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.8%.
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Average → climb → %
The Nasdaq composite rose 0.6%.
asserted
composite → rise → ?
Oil prices have continued to yo-yo because of uncertainty about when the war with Iran will allow the global energy industry to return to normal.
asserted
industry → continue → Iran
Trump shocked lawmakers when he announced on social media Friday that he struck a deal to buy Russian diesel with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call, aiming to tamp down a spike in fuel prices ahead of the Nov. 3 U.S. midterm elections.
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he → shock → elections
The president said Russia will immediately supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel to the American and global market, followed by an additional 500,000 tons in November and 1 million tons “immediately thereafter.”
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Russia → say → November
Russia will deliver an additional 3 million tons “within a short period of time” after that, he wrote.
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he → deliver → that
The plan runs counter to U.S. efforts to cut the flow of money Russia gets from oil and gas sales that can be used to pay for its war against Ukraine.
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that → run → Ukraine
Trump’s announcement came just a few weeks after Congress passed legislation that directed Trump to impose substantial tariffs on the top importers of Russian oil or natural gas, with an exception for countries that import less than 15% of Russia’s natural gas exports and have taken significant steps to reduce those imports.
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that → come → imports
A bipartisan group of six senators called Sunday for the administration to “immediately reverse course” on the plan.
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administration → call → plan
U.S. benchmark crude oil fell 1.7% to $90.31 per barrel.
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oil → fall → barrel
Share prices have surged upward, supported by expectations of strong corporate profits, even as Americans say they’re feeling more squeezed by high inflation.
asserted
they → surge → inflation
A preliminary report from the University of Michigan said Friday that U.S. consumers are raising their own forecasts for how bad inflation will be over the coming year.
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inflation → say → year
They’re expecting inflation of 4.7%, up from their forecast of 4.6% a month ago and just 3.4% in February before the war with Iran began.
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war → expect → Iran
Sentiment among consumers is falling sharply for Americans with lower incomes and smaller investments in stocks, who can least afford the fast increases in the cost of living.
asserted
who → fall → living
The pressure is on companies to deliver strong growth in profits after their stock prices ran toward records despite the downward push from high bond yields.
asserted
prices → deliver → yields
This week will bring high-profile profit reports from big banks, including Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo all on Tuesday.
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week → bring → Tuesday
In other dealings early Monday, the U.S. dollar rose to 158.27 Japanese yen from 158.23 yen.
asserted
dollar → rise → yen
The euro climbed to $1.1211 from $1.1191.
asserted
euro → climb → 1.1191
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