Trump’s Diesel Deal With Putin: 4.8 Million Tons to Cut US Fuel Prices Before Midterms
Trump says Russia will send 300,000 tons of diesel to US immediately, with millions more to follow, as he suspends sanctions and Ukraine cries foul.
US President Donald Trump announced Friday that Russia has agreed to supply the United States and global markets with millions of tons of diesel, a move aimed at lowering fuel prices ahead of November's midterm elections [258922][259114]. The deal, struck after a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, marks a sharp reversal of years of US policy that had imposed sanctions on Russia following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine [258922][259076].
Trump said Russia will immediately deliver more than 300,000 tons of diesel, with an additional 500,000 tons arriving in November, followed by 1,000,000 tons shortly after [259076]. He added that Russia will ultimately deliver about 4.8 million tons of diesel in the near future, depending on the condition of its refineries [259114][259142]. "Diesel Prices for Americans and, indeed, the World, will be COMING DOWN, IN RECORD NUMBERS, AND FAST!" Trump wrote on Truth Social [259114].
To allow the shipments, the US Treasury Department has temporarily suspended sanctions on Russian diesel until April 2027 [259114][259142]. The license permits the sale, delivery, unloading, and import of diesel of Russian origin until April 7, 2027 [259142]. Kirill Dmitriev, an envoy for Putin, praised the cooperation between Russia and the US on diesel [259142].
The deal has drawn sharp criticism from Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called it "unfair" and "unworthy of an ally," warning that the money Putin earns from selling diesel to the US will finance the war in Ukraine [259076][259139]. "At the same moment our team was talking with the American team in Florida, the US president was having a conversation with the leader of the Kremlin, the leader of this war, the leader of this aggression," Zelenskyy said [259076]. He added that such "gifts" to Putin in the form of sanctions relief will not stop the war [259139].
Trump also said Ukraine must stop attacking Russian oil refineries and called for Ukraine to hold new elections [259122]. Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide criticized the move, saying, "It is an opposite signal from what we need now," noting that Western countries have stood together to tighten sanctions on Russia, especially on oil and oil products, which are Russia's most important export [259122].
The United Kingdom said it will continue working closely with international partners to ensure Ukraine has the military and financial support it needs, pledging to maintain pressure on Russia following the diesel deal [258962]. Australia announced it will not buy fuel from Russia, even after the US decision, saying purchases from Russia will remain blocked to stop Russia from profiting from its invasion of Ukraine [258761].
Energy analysts say the plan faces major obstacles and will likely have little effect on prices. Russia's diesel exports are already limited by sanctions and production capacity, and even if Russia sends more fuel to the US, the volume would be too small to move prices significantly [258742]. "Russia cannot replace the lost supply fast enough, and the logistics alone make it impractical," one energy analyst said [258742]. Robert Bergqvist, senior economist at SEB, called the deal "extremely short-term thinking" [259181].
Diesel prices have risen sharply in recent months, putting pressure on trucking companies, farmers, and consumers [258742]. The attacks on Russian oil refineries by Ukraine have continued, with Zelenskyy saying last week that Ukraine will increase these attacks [259122]. On Saturday, Russian strikes killed at least 17 people in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region, attacks that came one day after Trump announced the diesel deal [259012].