Trump agrees deal with Putin for Russia to release diesel

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he had struck a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to supply Russian diesel fuel to both the U.S. and global markets. During a highly successful phone call, the two leaders agreed to this arrangement. Initially, Russia committed to providing over 300,000 metric tons of diesel fuel to international markets as soon as possible.

This initial shipment would be followed by another 500,000 metric tons in November and then 1 million metric tons "immediately thereafter."

Trump also revealed that Moscow could potentially supply an additional 3 million metric tons of diesel fuel within a short period of time, contingent upon the condition of the Russian diesel refineries. This announcement aligns with a temporary license issued by the U.S. Treasury Department, which permits the supply of Russian diesel fuel to the global market until April 7, 2027.

Trump attributed the decision to Russia's effective control over the Strait of Hormuz, claiming this would lead to significant reductions in diesel prices for Americans and the world at large. He emphasized that exports of Russian oil and petroleum products to other countries are heavily restricted by sanctions and Russia's own export bans. For instance, a ban on the export of diesel fuel, marine fuel, and gas oil remains in effect until the end of October.

Sources cited by Interfax on October 6 reported that Russian authorities were contemplating a partial lifting of the ban on diesel exports for certain producers around the same time. Ukraine has been targeting Russian oil refineries, leading to a fuel crisis in Russia during the summer of 2026. Trump has consistently urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to cease attacks on Russian oil facilities, arguing that these strikes are contributing to a global fuel shortage and driving up prices.

It is noteworthy that Trump claimed that Russia and Ukraine had reached an energy truce, though neither side has actually halted the strikes. Meduza, an independent news outlet, is dedicated to transparency in its use of artificial intelligence in the newsroom. The story was crafted by one of their human journalists and translated from Russian using an AI model tailored to their editorial guidelines.

Every draft undergoes a review by a Meduza editor before publication. For any discrepancies in this translation, readers are encouraged to contact reports@meduza.io.