Trump announces Russian diesel deal with Putin for US
Trump says he agreed Russian diesel deliveries with Putin, and the US Treasury Department has issued a temporary license. The price, terms and what Russia gets in return were not disclosed.
The average price of diesel in the US was $6.23 a gallon on Friday, 29 cents below the record of $6.52 set on September 22. That same day, President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that he had agreed with Russian President Vladimir Putin on deliveries of Russian diesel to the American and global markets.
The post came on Friday, October 9, after a phone call between the two presidents. The US Treasury Department said soon afterward that it was issuing a temporary license allowing Russian diesel to be shipped to the global market.
How much diesel did Trump announce?
According to Trump’s post, Russia would deliver more than 300,000 tons of diesel right away. Another 500,000 tons would follow in November, then one million tons, and a further three million tons are supposed to arrive on short notice. Added up, the steps he listed come to about 4.8 million tons.
For comparison, the BBC reports that the US burns roughly 3.6 million barrels of diesel a day. By its calculation, even if Russia delivers the promised 300,000 tons this month, that equals about half of one day of American consumption. Consumers may therefore not feel a big difference at the pump right away, according to the same source.
Trump justified the move with prices, not foreign policy. In the BBC’s translation, his post reads:
“Lower prices for Americans, especially for our great farmers, ranchers and truckers, are my top priority.”
The post mentions neither sanctions nor the war in Ukraine.
What was not disclosed?
The key details are missing. The White House did not immediately say who will pay for the fuel, when it will be available, or whether later shipments will arrive before the congressional elections scheduled for November 3. The price, the payment terms and what Russia receives in return are also unknown, and the BBC writes that there is no information on how quickly Russian fuel could reach the market.
On top of that, the capacity of Russian refineries is under threat from Ukrainian attacks, and Trump, according to the BBC, asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to limit those strikes.
How does this fit with US sanctions?
The US has not imported Russian oil and gas since 2022, when the administration of then-President Joseph Biden banned imports after the invasion of Ukraine. Last month Trump signed a law that provides for new sanctions on Russian officials, banks and tankers, a ban on new American investment in Russia, and tariffs of up to 100% on goods from countries that import Russian oil or natural gas, with certain exceptions. The BBC places that signing about three weeks ago.
The Treasury’s temporary license is the mechanism that allows the shipments despite that framework. Its term and scope are not stated in the statement cited by sources.
Why is diesel politically important ahead of the elections?
The diesel price rose because of disruptions on the energy market caused by the war in Iran, which, according to the BBC, began in February. The effects are felt most in US states dominated by agriculture that rely on diesel to run machinery and move goods. The BBC lists Iowa, Kansas, Texas and Ohio among them, and says they have become unexpected political battlegrounds in the elections that will decide control of Congress.
In recent months, according to the same source, Trump pressed European allies to tap their oil reserves, postponed federal fuel taxes and approved the use of farm-designated supplies for trucking in the US. He also said he would not resume attacks on Iran until the midterm elections are over.
How did Kyiv and Moscow react?
Zelensky called the deal a “gift” for Putin and an “investment in a war that must be ended, not prolonged.” Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev said, according to Agence France-Presse, that cooperation between Russia and the US on diesel and energy would benefit the whole world.
The BBC also warns of criticism from European allies and American politicians, who could argue that the Trump administration is indirectly helping to finance Russia’s war machine. Early voting has begun in many states, and the elections are less than a month away.
