US President Donald Trump said that Russia had agreed to deliver more than 300,000 metric tons of diesel immediately for supply to the United States and international markets, as his administration seeks to bring down rising fuel prices ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.
Trump announced the agreement following what he described as a “highly successful” conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump said Moscow would supply an additional 500,000 metric tons of diesel in November, followed by another 1 million metric tons “immediately thereafter”.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticised the deal, describing it as “an investment in a war that must be ended, not prolonged”. He argued that allowing Russia to sell petroleum products would provide Moscow with additional revenue to finance its ongoing war against Ukraine.
The announcement came as a Ukrainian delegation was in the United States for talks on efforts to end the war with Russia, which launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
“Gifts to Putin will not bring peace or any benefit to the civilised world,” Zelenskyy wrote on X.
“Russia will ‘repay’ the diesel with further terror and perfidy,” he added, calling for genuine de-escalation on a reciprocal basis.
Reducing fuel prices is a priority: Trump
Trump said the Russian diesel supplies would help lower fuel costs for US consumers, particularly farmers, ranchers and truck drivers, amid persistently high diesel prices.
“Lower prices for Americans, especially our Great Farmers, Ranchers, and Truckers, is my Greatest Priority,” he wrote on social media.
The US Treasury Department issued a general licence on Friday authorising imports of Russian diesel until April 7, despite Washington’s sanctions on Russian energy companies imposed over the war in Ukraine. Kirill Dmitriev, an envoy of Russian President Vladimir Putin, also welcomed cooperation between the US and Russia on diesel and energy in a post on X following the leaders’ conversation.
The initial supply of 300,000 metric tons of diesel is equivalent to approximately 2.25 million barrels. By comparison, the United States exports around 1.5 million barrels of diesel per day.
Analysts warned that the proposed Russian diesel supplies were unlikely to lead to a significant or lasting decline in fuel prices.
