WASHINGTON, October 10 — President Donald Trump said Friday he had concluded a “highly successful discussion” with Russian President Vladimir Putin in which Moscow agreed to supply diesel fuel to the American and global marketplace, a sharp reversal of years of U.S. pressure on Russia’s energy exports over the war in Ukraine.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Russia would immediately supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel, followed by another 500,000 tons in November and 1 million tons “immediately thereafter.” Russia would deliver an additional 3 million tons “within a short period of time” depending on the condition of its refineries, which have been targeted by Ukrainian attacks, he wrote.
Shortly after the announcement, the U.S. Treasury Department said Trump had directed the Office of Foreign Assets Control to issue a temporary general license allowing the supply of Russian diesel to the global market, including importation into the United States, until April 7, 2027.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the move, saying easing sanctions on Moscow “plays into Russia’s hands.” “Allowing Russia to sell petroleum products is an investment in a war that must be ended, not prolonged,” he said in a statement.
A Kremlin statement said Putin confirmed Russia’s readiness to supply oil and petroleum products to the American and global markets and expressed confidence the step would have a positive impact on the global economy. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said Moscow was “immediately starting to lift restrictions on diesel exports ahead of schedule” and could begin supplies to the United States in October.
The announcement came less than a month before the U.S. midterm elections on November 3 and three weeks after Trump signed legislation authorizing tariffs of up to 100 percent on major purchasers of Russian crude oil and gas. The White House did not respond to questions about who would pay for the diesel or when supplies would become available.
Trump told reporters later Friday that the deal would bring down diesel prices “in record numbers,” speaking before departing for an event in Syracuse, New York.