It will take 15 to 20 days for Russian diesel to be shipped to the U.S. market once the contracts are signed, a Russian official said in an interview broadcast Sunday.
Last week, US President Donald Trump announced an agreement with Moscow, which sparked criticism from Ukraine and its European allies. The agreement is seen as part of attempts to reduce fuel prices for American consumers, ahead of the midterm elections in November.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Affairs, Alexander Novak, said in an interview with the state broadcaster Vesti: “Negotiations are currently underway on commercial terms, that is, finalizing contracts.”
He added: “Once the contracts are signed, the fuel will reach the markets, and in this case the American markets, within 15 to 20 days,” without specifying the date of signing.
The Kremlin Advisor for International Economic Cooperation, Kirill Dmitriev, said on Wednesday that the contracts would be signed within days.
Americans' dissatisfaction with the rise in fuel prices since the start of the war waged by the United States and Israel against Iran has raised fears that Trump's Republican Party will suffer heavy electoral losses next month.
Many experts believe that the diesel agreement with Moscow will not make a fundamental difference for consumers.
The United States consumes 3.9 million barrels of diesel per day, while the first phase of the agreement with Moscow includes 2.22 million barrels, an amount barely enough to cover half of America’s daily consumption.
Turkish Energy Minister Alp Arslan Bayraktar said on Sunday that his country will receive a portion of the diesel quantities that Russia will import to global markets, according to an agreement reached with US President Donald Trump.
Bayraktar pointed out that the diesel supply agreement between America and Russia is of great importance to Turkey's energy security.
Ankara depends on Russia to meet part of its energy needs, in addition to its dependence on Iran, Azerbaijan and other countries, while it is currently seeking to diversify its sources by concluding agreements with America and other partners.
Bayraktar said, in television statements: “Russia imposed restrictions on diesel exports in recent months when it began to face this problem. Now, I have reached an agreement on diesel with Trump... and through the conversations we had, we will get a portion of this diesel for Türkiye’s benefit.”
The minister did not provide further details.
This agreement was met with sharp criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, European officials, and some Republican politicians from Trump's own party.
Bayraktar also stated that Turkey plans to operate a second floating platform for gas production in the first quarter of 2028, explaining that this platform will raise Turkey’s total daily production in the Black Sea to 45 million cubic meters.
On Saturday, Türkiye sent the first floating gas production platform, called “Osman Ghazi”, to the Black Sea.
According to Bayrakdar, this step is expected to double the daily production from the largest local gas field, the Sakarya field, to reach 20 million cubic meters, up from the current level of 9.5 million cubic meters (equivalent to 7.3 billion cubic meters annually).
The minister said: “In the first quarter of 2028, the second floating platform will arrive in Türkiye, and through it we will be able to produce 25 million cubic meters. This platform has a slightly greater production capacity than the Othman Ghazi platform.”
He added: “Therefore, with a production of 45 million cubic metres, we will be able to meet the needs of 3 out of every 4 homes in Türkiye using our local gas.”
He explained that Turkey's daily production from the field will rise to 550,000 barrels of oil equivalent with the entry of a second floating platform into service.
Türkiye is one of the largest gas markets in Europe, as its consumption reached 59 billion cubic meters last year. The country depends almost entirely on imports to meet all its gas needs. Domestic production reached only 3.1 billion cubic meters last year, most of which came from the Sakarya field.
Bayraktar stated that the planned hydrocarbon exploration operations off the coast of Pakistan have been postponed for about 6 months. This is due to the repercussions of the Iran war.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to visit India for the second time this year, at a time when Washington is seeking to strengthen its relations with a strategic partner, despite months of tension over a trade agreement.
Rubio will meet senior officials in India, but will not visit the Indian capital during his trip next week.
Instead, he will focus on the areas of investment and energy through visits to the financial center “Mumbai” and the city of Jamnagar. The center of India's oil industry, which includes the refining complex of billionaire Mukesh Ambani, which is the largest of its kind in the world.
Experts believe that the most prominent issue - which may not be raised explicitly but is strongly present - is the inability of the two countries to conclude the long-awaited trade agreement.
Several factors contributed to the complexity of the negotiators' task to reach an agreement, including the reciprocal tariff campaign launched by US President Donald Trump, disagreements over energy imports, and Washington's rapprochement with Pakistan. India's arch rival.
According to the US State Department, Rubio will begin his 6-day foreign tour on Sunday, where he will first visit Uzbekistan before arriving in India.
Last February, India and the United States agreed on a framework for a temporary agreement, under which Washington would reduce its customs duties from 25 to 18 percent, in exchange for India reducing duties on a group of industrial and agricultural goods.
Despite months of negotiations, the agreement has not been finalized or signed yet.
One reason is the “legal uncertainty” surrounding Trump’s tariff plans, after legal challenges undermined the reciprocal duties that formed the basis of that agreement.
In his note, trade expert Ajay Srivastava explained: “Last February’s framework included a reduction in customs duties, in exchange for India making fundamental concessions. But once that tariff regime was abolished, the value of the American offer became unclear.
India is also concerned about new trade measures by Washington that may affect it, including an investigation into alleged unfair practices in several countries, and a new law allowing tariffs of up to 100 percent on countries that buy Russian oil.
On Friday, Trump signed an executive order exempting countries from those looming sanctions.
Progress in negotiations appears to have faced several obstacles. Throughout the current year, both governments have spoken optimistically about the possibility of concluding an interim agreement.
Last June, the US Ambassador to India, Sergio Gore, said that negotiators were working on putting the final touches - or what he called “the last one percent” - of the agreement. But recently, the tone has become noticeably more cautious. Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said last week that the talks had reached a “stalemate,” with little room for further concessions.
Her statements came days after the US Trade Representative, Jamison Greer, said that announcing the agreement was not “imminent.”
The agriculture sector remains a sensitive area for India, which is reluctant to expose its farmers to more foreign competition.
In return, Washington wants India to increase its purchases of American energy supplies.
New Delhi also insisted that the final tariff rates be competitive, comparable to those received by other competing countries in the region, such as Vietnam.
Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said last week that the first phase of the agreement is in its final stages, but added that it will not enter into force until India guarantees an advantage over its competitors.
He said: “We are working on putting the final touches and legal drafting, and we hope to accomplish this soon, so that the agreement will enter into force as soon as we obtain a competitive advantage compared to other countries competing with us.”
Exports of goods to the United States jumped 21 percent last August to reach $8.3 billion compared to the same month of the previous year, a period when India was facing customs duties of 50 percent.
This rise in exports represented a bright spot for the Indian economy, which had suffered turmoil due to rising energy prices as a result of the war in the Middle East.
Economists believe that the return of higher customs tariffs would cast a shadow on India's growth prospects, harm market sentiment, and increase pressure on the rupee, which is already suffering from weakness.
