Trump opens the door to Russian diesel as Zelensky objects
Russia freed up 500 000 tons for export after a Trump-Putin call, and U.S. lawmakers say the deal clashes with sanctions their own country imposed.
President Donald Trump announced on Friday, Oct. 9, after speaking with Vladimir Putin, a deal for Russia to sell diesel to the United States and other markets despite the sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine, according to AP. To give it legal cover, the U.S. Treasury issued a general license of limited duration.
Moscow answered on Saturday, Oct. 10. Russia partly lifted the diesel export ban it imposed in July after Ukrainian attacks on its oil facilities, and authorized the sale of 500 000 tons, according to The Kyiv Independent, a Ukrainian outlet citing TASS, the Russian state news agency. Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said domestic supply is "sufficient."
Trump's figures are larger, and they are his alone: more than 300 000 tons right away, 500 000 in November, one million after that and three million more in a short time. No text of the agreement has been published, and Russia confirms only the 500 000. The White House did not say who would pay or when the fuel would arrive, and it did not clarify whether the November shipments could land before the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
The license frees from sanctions, until April 2027, Russian diesel that was already loaded on ships on Friday. According to AP, it is the first easing longer than the usual 30 days since the war began. The United States has imported no Russian oil or gas since 2022, and a gallon of diesel costs $6.28 on average, according to AAA, the motorists' association cited by AP. The peak was $6.52 on Sept. 22.
The reactions
Also on Saturday, Trump defended the deal to reporters and blamed Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine's president, for the attacks on Russian refineries. He said "it's time for Ukraine to get a new president," according to The Kyiv Independent, the only outlet consulted that carries those remarks. Zelensky had called the deal "a weak decision by strong partners" and offered that Ukraine would halt its strikes on Russian energy for a time, as long as Moscow accepts equal terms.
In Washington, lawmakers from both parties criticized the deal, according to The Kyiv Independent. Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski said Trump should use the sanctions authority that already exists rather than let Russia export and collect. Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal called for revoking the deal at once and says it will cost civilian lives in Ukraine. Several see it as contrary to the sanctions law Trump signed on Sept. 18, which provides for tariffs of up to 100% on the five countries that buy the most Russian oil or gas.
Still open are the text of the Treasury license and a formal Kremlin response to Trump's figures. Lawmakers had asked that the sanctions law be applied before Oct. 18.
