US President Donald Trump said that he spoke by phone with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and agreed with him on the supply of Russian diesel fuel to the American and other markets. Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky said that allowing Russia to sell diesel is an investment in war.
“I have just had highly successful negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which it was agreed that Russia will immediately supply over 300,000 tons of diesel fuel to the US and world markets, another 500,000 tons during November, and 1,000,000 tons immediately thereafter,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“In addition, taking into account the production capabilities of Russian refineries, Russia will supply another 3 million tons of diesel fuel in the shortest possible time. With our full control of the Strait of Hormuz and this important announcement regarding Russian energy resources, diesel prices for Americans—and the entire world—will decline rapidly and significantly,” the American leader added.
At the same time, it became known that the US Treasury issued a temporary license (until April 7, 2027) allowing the supply of Russian diesel fuel to the market.
The Kremlin said that the Russian side “confirmed its readiness to supply oil and petroleum products to the American and world markets.”
“During a telephone conversation with US President Donald Trump on October 9, considerable attention was paid to the prospects for resolving the Ukrainian crisis; the situation around Iran and various aspects of bilateral relations were also touched upon,” Putin said in a statement.
“When discussing the state of affairs in the global energy sector, the Russian side confirmed its readiness to supply oil and petroleum products to the American and world markets. I am confident that this will have a positive impact on the entire global economy,” said the Russian President.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Friday evening that authorities were beginning to lift restrictions on diesel fuel exports earlier than planned.
Due to damage to Russian refineries from multiple Ukrainian strikes this summer and fall, Russia imposed a ban on diesel exports; it was once again extended by a month on 30 September.
According to Novak, Moscow is ready to supply additional volumes of diesel fuel to the American market in October and may increase supplies of diesel for export in November and December “as the refinery comes out of repair.”
“Gifts to Putin won’t work”
Commenting on Trump's statement, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said that "there can never be peace through weakness."
“Today, representatives of the US Congress were in Kyiv - a bipartisan delegation, and I am grateful to them for visiting Ukraine at such a difficult time. They asked: “What will it take to end the war?” The answer must be strong. There should be sanctions under the Lindsey Graham Act, there should be support for Ukraine in protecting life, and there should be pressure on Russia for the war. And today there was a conversation between the leaders of America and Russia. A conversation leading to another,” he wrote on social networks.
The Ukrainian leader recalled the EU’s recent decision to lift sanctions against Russian billionaires Mikhail Fridman and Alisher Usmanov: “After it, Russian attacks and bullying of people only increased. Just this week, there was a brutal Russian missile attack on a house in Priluki, air bombs on Kramatorsk - on ordinary city buses, constant attacks on the Kyiv energy sector, the infrastructure of life in the Dnieper, Kharkov, Odessa and other cities. Dozens of dead and hundreds of wounded.”
According to Zelensky, the Russians are in this way compensating for their failure to achieve their goals at the front.
“This is why Putin relies on terror. That is why he relies on attempts at behind-the-scenes agreements on one way or another to ease pressure on Russia in order to buy time and opportunities for war, he said. “Any easing of sanctions against Russia without a clear and lasting de-escalation agreement with Russia is an obvious weakness, it plays into Russia, that it will kill more, fight longer, respect America even less and cause even more losses and damage to the world.”
“Gifts to Putin will not bring peace or any benefit to the civilized world. Russia will “repay” diesel with further terror and meanness. Allowing Russia to sell petroleum products is an investment in a war that needs to end, not continue. We need real de-escalation with Russia and in a mirror format,” added the Ukrainian leader.
