To the Editor:
Re “After Trump’s ‘Gift’ to Putin, European Leaders Seek Cautious Diplomatic Message” (news article, Oct. 14):
President Trump’s deal to purchase diesel fuel from Russia is shocking but, given his long history of deferring to President Vladimir Putin, not surprising. Mr. Trump defended his outrageous action with this social media post: “I made the right choice for the American People — ALWAYS, AMERICA FIRST!”
Mr. Trump is acting in his self-interest, fearful of the likely results of the midterm elections and the possibility that he may face yet another impeachment. He is desperate, flailing about to bring down the price of diesel in the hope that he can distract voters from the real cause of our current problems.
Any president who really wanted to put “America first” would recognize that what is good for America is to maintain positive relations with our long-term European allies.
Those of us who believe in the ideals represented by the United States — whether Democrats, Republicans or independents — should unite in declaring Mr. Trump unfit for the presidency.
Richard Nochimson Bronx
To the Editor:
The Senate honored the late Senator Lindsey Graham in the summer by overwhelmingly passing his bill, which imposed severe sanctions on Russia’s energy exports, and on Sept. 18, President Trump signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 into law.
But on Oct. 9, President Trump waived sanctions on Russian diesel fuel, allowing 300,000 tons to be sold on the global market. In doing so, the president has not only dishonored his late friend but also violated the law, which requires him to send Congress “a certification in writing that the issuance of the waiver is in the national interests of the United States.”
Moreover, 300,000 tons of diesel equal just over two million barrels of oil, while America consumes approximately four million barrels of distillates — mostly diesel and heating oil — every day.
So Mr. Trump is betraying an embattled democracy, demonstrating our faithlessness to the world, damaging whatever is left of America’s reputation, for the sake of half a day’s worth of diesel.
If any nation needs to “get a new president,” it is the United States, not Ukraine.
Paul M. Wortman Pittsburgh
To the Editor:
I am 91, a Hungarian American who escaped from Hungary after the 1956 Soviet invasion. The Soviets killed approximately 2,500 freedom fighters and wounded another 20,000, while 200,000 Hungarians escaped. The Russians also forced their puppet government in Budapest to hang Prime Minister Imre Nagy in 1958 after a show trial. And how did the Western democracies react? They did not lift a finger.
So, what should the Ukrainians learn from that? They must face the fact that little has changed in seven decades.
On the one hand, the Russians do not want peace; they want Ukraine itself. On the other hand, the support from the West will remain little more than lip service to sanctions. In fact these democracies will continue to purchase Russian oil and also force the Ukrainian Army to fight with one arm tied behind its back by not providing the weapons it needs.
It is hard to tell which regime we are trying to change.
Béla Lipták Stamford, Conn.
Stressed Out in America
To the Editor:
Re “Disruptions as Bridge Nears Completion” (photo, front page, Oct. 14):
Looking at the picture on the front page on Wednesday told me a lot about the stress many of us feel. Six people whose faces we can see, with furrowed brows and glum expressions, tell the story of life in America today. Very sad.
Kathy Noone Evanston, Ill.
Useful Skills
To the Editor:
Re “A Spy’s Playbook for Defending Against A.I. Propaganda,” by Anthony Vinci (Opinion guest essay, Oct. 9):
To counter A.I. propaganda, Mr. Vinci urges us to think “like spies” by “using multiple sources to check information; testing those sources regularly for reliability; never getting complacent and trusting one source without thinking.” These very skills are the foundation of liberal arts writing and history classes currently under attack.
Lydia Murdoch Poughkeepsie, N.Y. The writer is a professor of history at Vassar College.
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