09/14/2026
I examine Trump’s demand that Zelensky stop striking Russian diesel refineries, the global diesel market, Ukraine’s shrinking U.S. leverage problem, and Kyiv’s proposed energy and maritime ceasefire. I also assess Russia’s record of attacking Ukrainian fuel infrastructure and what the coming Trump-Zelensky meeting could mean.
- 00:00 Trump’s Demand on Russian Diesel Strikes
- 01:44 Did Kyiv Pause Its Refinery Campaign?
- 04:02 Global Diesel Markets and the Middle East
- 05:47 The U.S. Leverage Question
- 07:12 Trump-Zelensky Meeting and Ceasefire Terms
- 10:08 Russia’s Earlier Attacks on Ukrainian Energy
- 12:46 Ukraine’s Leverage and the Strategic Choice
Facts over noise. Context over headlines. Truth over talking points. Principle over partisanship.
https://www.youtube.com/@Professor-Gerdes
A Russian businessman with ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin financed celebrations in the Bahamas that immediately followed Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding to Bettina Anderson earlier this year.
In a statement posted on Instagram, the couple confirmed that Umar Kremlev paid for two nights of post-wedding events that took place on secluded Bahamian islands.
In an interview with the Journal, one wedding guest recalled seeing a group of people who were speaking Russian—but the guest didn’t know who they were.
Guests at the Bahamas afterparty included Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, a top adviser to the president who recently met with Putin in Moscow. A spokeswoman for Kushner didn’t respond to requests for comment.
-per the Wall Street Journal