Exclusive-First Russian diesel from Putin-Trump deal heading for US, data shows

A tanker carrying Russian diesel is traveling toward New York following a surprise agreement between Moscow and US President Donald Trump, according to ship-tracking data and confirmations from the Kremlin. The Malta-flagged medium-sized tanker Agioi Fanendes was loaded with 40,000 metric tons of ultra-low sulphur diesel at the Russian Baltic port of Primorsk on October 22. The vessel is expected to arrive in the United States on November 7, though the identities of the buyer and seller were not immediately known.

The New Straits Times reports that Trump announced on October 9 that Russia would immediately export 300,000 metric tons to the US and global markets, with subsequent shipments of 500,000 tons in November and 1 million tons following that. This cargo represents the first US import of Russian oil and petroleum products since a ban was announced by former President Joe Biden in 2022. Al-Monitor and New Straits Times state that Trump announced the deal to lower soaring diesel prices ahead of the November 3 mid-term elections.

As part of the arrangement, Trump waived portions of a new US sanctions law against Russia and threatened Europe with a US diesel export ban unless countries released more from emergency reserves to ease prices. The Toronto Sun noted that the easing of sanctions has shocked Ukraine and its European allies. While a Kremlin spokesperson confirmed on Friday that a first ship under the deal had departed, the New Straits Times reports the spokesperson did not specify if the ship was bound for the US market or elsewhere.

Brief written by urgent.news from Al-Monitor, Toronto Sun, ABC News (US), New Straits Times — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.