Trump and Putin reach a deal on Russian diesel supplies

Russia to supply 300,000 tons of diesel immediately, followed by more than 4 million tons in stages

Key takeaways

WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump said he had reached a deal to obtain diesel from Russia, a striking reversal of years of U.S. pressure on Moscow over its war in Ukraine and an attempt to address high fuel prices before the U.S. midterm elections.

Trump said on social media on October 9 that he had reached the agreement during a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The call had been expected to address a suspected plague case in Russia. Instead, Trump announced that Russia would immediately supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel, followed by another 500,000 tons in November and 1 million tons “right after that.” He wrote that Russia would then deliver another 3 million tons within a “short period.”

The announcement came after Trump signed a broad sanctions law against Russia the previous month, targeting the energy economy and other sectors that finance its war in Ukraine.

The move raised questions about whether the White House would impose sanctions on Russia that month. A bipartisan law passed by Congress required the administration to target major importers of Russian oil and gas.

Trump did not mention sanctions or Russia’s war when announcing the deal. He said bringing prices down for Americans, especially farmers, ranchers and truckers, was his top priority.

The White House did not immediately answer questions about who would pay for the Russian diesel or when the fuel would become available. It also did not clarify whether the later shipments scheduled for the following month would arrive before Election Day on November 3.

Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev reposted the U.S. Treasury announcement on X on October 9, saying cooperation between Russia and the United States on diesel and energy would benefit the world.

The law Trump signed the previous month called for sanctions against Russian officials, banks and the tanker “shadow fleet,” and prohibited all new U.S. investment in Russia and transactions involving its sovereign debt.

The law also required Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100% on the five largest importers of Russian oil or gas, with an exception for countries accounting for less than 15% of Russian gas exports that had taken significant steps to reduce those imports.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the United States had not imported Russian oil or gas since the Biden administration banned those imports in 2022 following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Shortly after Trump announced the agreement, the U.S. Treasury said it would immediately issue temporary licenses allowing Russian diesel to reach global markets.

Global fuel prices had surged as the war in Iran disrupted the energy sector. According to AAA, the U.S. national average diesel price was $6.23 per gallon on October 9, after reaching a record $6.52 on September 22.