Trump says Russia will supply diesel to U.S. and global markets
President Donald Trump announced Friday that Russia will supply millions of tons of diesel fuel to U.S. and global markets following a conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The announcement comes as the war in Iran continues to disrupt global energy supplies.
Trump said Russia would immediately provide more than 300,000 tons of diesel, followed by another 500,000 tons in November and 1 million tons shortly afterward. He added that Russia would deliver another 3 million tons within a short period, depending on the condition of its refineries.
“Lower prices for Americans, especially our Great Farmers, Ranchers, and Truckers, is my Greatest Priority,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
Following the announcement, the U.S. Treasury Department issued a temporary license easing sanctions on deliveries of Russian diesel loaded onto tankers as of Friday. The authorization runs through April 7, 2027.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized the announcement in a post on X, warning that easing pressure on Russia without a lasting agreement to reduce hostilities could allow Moscow to continue its war.
Zelensky also said Ukraine was prepared to take reciprocal steps to reduce attacks on energy infrastructure. He said Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries were a response to Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy facilities and offered to halt those strikes if Russia stopped targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
In a separate statement to reporters, Zelensky accused the U.S. of undermining Ukraine’s peace efforts by allowing Russia to sell diesel while the two countries were discussing ways to end the war, according to the Financial Times.
“I believe our team is simply being used as a smokescreen,” Zelensky said, calling the decision “weak” and warning that the additional revenue could help Russia continue its war against Ukraine.
The United States has not imported Russian oil or gas since 2022, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Russia has restricted diesel exports in recent months following Ukrainian attacks on its refineries, contributing to global diesel supply concerns. It remains unclear how Russia will supply the quantities Trump announced while parts of its refining industry remain disrupted.
Trump said the additional diesel supplies would help lower prices in the U.S. and around the world, although it remains unclear when the shipments will arrive or how much prices could fall.
