Trump Putin Diesel Deal: Russian Fuel Reaches Global Markets
The trump putin diesel deal has moved from announcement to reality, as the Kremlin said Thursday that Russian diesel has begun reaching global markets under the agreement between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Moscow partly lifted its diesel export ban from October 10 following the deal, and that the first volumes were already flowing. Shipping data from LSEG showed Russia resumed diesel loadings at the Baltic port of Primorsk, where a tanker carrying roughly 40,000 metric tons of ultra-low sulphur diesel was loaded on October 13 and was heading toward Morocco.
Deal Terms and Sanctions Pause
Trump first announced the arrangement on October 9, saying after talks with Putin that Russia would supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel “immediately” to American and global markets, followed by 500,000 tons in November and another 1 million tons afterward — with possibly 3 million more tons depending on the condition of Russia’s diesel refineries.
Following the announcement, the U.S. Treasury issued a temporary general license allowing Russian diesel into the global market, a reversal of years of sanctions policy aimed at cutting Moscow’s energy revenue after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
The White House’s stated goal is lowering diesel prices ahead of the November 3 midterms. Pump prices for diesel hit a record $6.528 a gallon on September 22, according to AAA, and the administration has blamed elevated fuel costs partly on the ongoing war in Iran.
Critics Warn of War Chest Boost
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky denounced the deal, calling it a weak move by a strong partner that hands extra money to Moscow’s war effort. European officials and several Republican politicians also criticized the agreement, while Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney sided with Zelensky, saying the deal runs against allied efforts for peace and stability in Europe.
Russia dismissed the European criticism as cynical, noting that Europe continues to buy some Russian oil and liquefied natural gas. Peskov said the new flows should have a positive effect on stabilizing oil markets, though he conceded they would not be enough to fully stabilize them.
Energy analysts have questioned whether the volumes — far less than a single day’s U.S. transport demand — will move prices at all, but the shipments mark a striking shift in Washington’s energy diplomacy just weeks before Americans vote.
Source: Reuters