Indeed, it turned out to be a major blunder.

It’s truly baffling—what began as a major international news story ultimately proved to be a colossal blunder. Recall how Trump suddenly announced on October 11: "Effective immediately, the Russia-Ukraine conflict enters an 'energy ceasefire'—both sides have agreed. Do not attack!" Note carefully: "Both sides have agreed!" That is, Russia agreed to stop bombing Ukrainian energy infrastructure; Ukraine likewise agreed to halt its attacks on Russian oil refineries. Unquestionably, this would represent a breakthrough in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. After all, Ukrainian drones have recently scored repeated successes, striking numerous Russian refineries and triggering acute shortages of refined petroleum products in Russia. In turn, Russia’s retaliatory strikes have inflicted devastating losses upon Ukraine. Yet the most ironic moment came when Zelenskyy responded instantly: "This is news to me!" The person announcing the ceasefire spoke with grand confidence—while the party supposedly ‘ceasefired’ stood bewildered. Russia, meanwhile, remained completely silent. If this were all true, would Zelenskyy dare respond so bluntly? Would Russia stay silent? So where did Trump’s announcement originate? Reporters pressed relentlessly—leading to the following exchange on October 12: Reporter: "You claimed Russia and Ukraine agreed to a ceasefire—but both sides say they never agreed to any such thing." Trump: "Well, they *did* agree—do you know why? Because I said they agreed. That’s it. They agreed because I said they agreed." Got it? Whether they actually agreed or not is irrelevant—the mere fact that *I* declared their agreement makes it official. Clearly, the so-called Russia-Ukraine 'energy ceasefire' was nothing more than Trump’s unilateral fantasy—yet he proclaimed it worldwide as established fact. How should we put it? A surreal scene—a magical world! Trump’s mouth: a deceiver’s tool. I suspect even Russia was utterly stunned—but since Trump had already announced it, they didn’t want to spoil his enthusiasm, so they chose silence and waited to see how things unfolded. Ukraine, however, relies heavily on strikes against Russian refineries as a key bargaining chip. Trump’s sudden intervention left them no choice but to speak up—forcing Trump to reveal the truth outright. In doing so, Zelenskyy has arguably moved even further into open opposition to Trump. Of course, Zelenskyy lately seems increasingly unafraid—things he once dared not say aloud, he now declares boldly. On October 12, Zelenskyy posted three consecutive tweets—never naming Trump explicitly, yet each line unmistakably aimed at him. First, Zelenskyy wrote: "I don’t believe the volume of diesel Russia exports will affect prices. We see they’re exporting 300,000–500,000 tons per month right now. Meanwhile, global consumption stands at 120 million tons monthly. What impact could that possibly have? I think none whatsoever. If some people disagree, let them be." He continued: "So I believe entirely different motives lie behind these actions. If this is the approach, then why hasn’t the U.S. reached a diesel agreement with Ukraine? Let Ukraine propose such an agreement. We *do* hold influence—we can decide whether those tankers sail, and whether those refineries operate. If that’s the case, then let’s do it…" Needless to say, there’s plenty packed into those words.

How should we view the Houthi missile strike on Saudi Aramco’s headquarters in Dhahran, causing widespread damage?

This was simply Houthi retaliation—just like their earlier bombing of Saudi airports. Saudi Arabia first bombed the Yemeni Oil Company in Sana’a—controlled by the Houthis—prompting the Houthis’ retaliatory strike on Saudi soil. Yet while these two sides trade blows, the real victim is 'Dongzi' (a nickname for U.S. President Biden). Just days earlier, 'Dongzi' had signed a deal with Russia to secure Russian diesel supplies for the U.S., aiming to stabilize domestic fuel prices. To keep prices steady, he even threatened Zelenskyy—if Ukraine kept bombing Russian refineries, he’d push for a Ukrainian presidential change. But before he’d even managed to rein Zelenskyy in, Saudi Arabia and the Houthis began exchanging strikes on each other’s refineries. The fuel prices he’d worked so hard to suppress are now poised to surge again—leaving 'Dongzi' inwardly exasperated, unable to voice his frustration.

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Oil Holds Gain as Middle East and Russia Strikes Threaten Supply

Oil Holds Gain as Middle East and Russia Strikes Threaten Supply

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