Trump lifts sanctions on Russian diesel, suggests US may buy amid surging fuel prices

On Friday, the Trump administration lifted sanctions on Russian diesel, with President Donald Trump stating that Moscow had agreed to release significant quantities of the fuel. Trump suggested that the U.S. could potentially become a buyer, addressing the soaring diesel prices stemming from the ongoing conflict with Iran and attacks on Russian refineries by Ukraine.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump declared he had "concluded a highly successful discussion" with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which Putin committed to supplying hundreds of thousands of tons of diesel fuel to the American and global market. Trump proclaimed that, coupled with the U.S.'s "TOTAL CONTROL of the Strait of Hormuz," diesel prices in the U.S. and worldwide would "be COMING DOWN, IN RECORD NUMBERS, AND FAST!"

The Treasury Department confirmed in a X post that it was issuing a temporary general license for the supply of Russian diesel to the global market. Moscow has been limiting diesel exports due to Ukraine's intensified assaults on Russian refineries, contributing to a global fuel shortage. The extent of Russia's capacity to fulfill Trump's diesel promises is uncertain, as a significant portion of its refineries are currently offline.