Two tankers headed to US under Trump-Putin diesel deal change course

Two tankers carrying Russian diesel fuel to the United States have altered their routes, according to the Financial Times. The Russian tanker, Talisman, and the Leruo, a tanker flagged in Sierra Leone and owned by a Hong Kong company, are no longer planning to head to the U.S. Atlantic coast. The Leruo reportedly shifted its destination to Brazil as early as Monday, November 2, while the Talisman veered from the Atlantic Ocean into the Mediterranean Sea, now located off Algeria's coast.

The Talisman's destination remains listed as "awaiting orders," suggesting the cargo has not yet secured a confirmed buyer or port of arrival. Another tanker, Agioi Fanendes, owned by Eastern Mediterranean Maritime, also shows the same status but is still heading towards the U.S. Its owner had previously told the Financial Times that orders and a discharging port were still pending.

Additionally, the Beast, a tanker owned by Seychelles companies, loaded fuel at the Primorsk port on October 27 and is still on track to deliver to the U.S. The independent Russian outlet Agentstvo was the first to notice the change in the tankers' course. The deal between Russia and the U.S. was announced in a phone call between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 9.

Following this, the U.S. Treasury Department issued a temporary license allowing the sale of Russian diesel fuel globally, bypassing U.S. sanctions. The first tanker carrying Russian diesel fuel, Agioi Fanendes, left Primorsk on October 22, with plans to deliver 40,000 tons of fuel to New York by November 7. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky labeled the Russia-U.S. diesel deal as "an investment in the war," while Trump claimed it would reduce fuel prices in the U.S. However, analysts and experts doubted this prediction, as fuel prices in the U.S. have reportedly increased by seven cents since the diesel deal with Russia was announced.