Trump says US to import Russian diesel to ease prices
US President Donald Trump says Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to release diesel onto US and global markets to ease soaring energy costs during the war with Iran. The US Treasury has issued a temporary licence for Russian diesel.
US President Donald Trump announced on Friday, 9 October, that Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed, after talks between the two, to put Russian diesel onto American and global markets. Trump said the step would help ease rapidly rising energy costs while the United States is involved in a war with Iran.
Writing on social media, Trump said Russia would immediately supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel, with another 500,000 tons to follow during November. The US Treasury Department said it was issuing a temporary licence allowing Russian diesel to enter global markets.
Open questions
The White House has not yet clarified who will pay for the Russian diesel or when supplies under the deal will become available. It also has not said whether the further deliveries expected next month would arrive before the 3 November midterm elections.
Link to sanctions
The announcement comes only a month after Trump signed sweeping sanctions against Russia, targeting its energy sector and other industries that help finance its war in Ukraine. That raises the question of whether the White House will impose further sanctions on Russia this month, as required by bipartisan legislation aimed at major importers of Russian oil and gas.
Trump did not mention the sanctions or the war in Ukraine. He said lower prices for Americans, especially farmers, ranchers and truckers, were his greatest priority.
Kirill Dmitriev, a Russian presidential envoy, reposted the Treasury announcement on X and said that Russia-US cooperation on diesel and energy would benefit the world.
