US President Donald Trump defended the “diesel agreement” with Russia, at a time when lawmakers from both parties, Republican and Democratic, complained that the agreement appeared to violate a US law that bans Russian energy imports until Moscow ends its aggression against Ukraine.
Trump said that the agreement to lift sanctions on Russian oil exports would help reduce high fuel prices. However, some analysts doubted that the amount of diesel that Trump said Russia would provide during the next three months would be sufficient to make a tangible impact on prices, as it is equivalent to only about 12 hours of global fuel consumption.
On Friday, Trump announced Russia's agreement to supply diesel to global markets, saying that his administration had temporarily lifted US sanctions imposed on Russian fuel, which were designed to deprive Moscow of any revenues it might use in its war with Ukraine.
Trump said on Monday evening that the agreement would benefit farmers and ranchers in the United States.
The price of diesel has jumped by more than 60 percent since Trump started a war on Iran 7 months ago, and high prices are now threatening Republicans' chances of maintaining their slim majority in Congress during the midterm elections on November 3.
A group of senators, Republicans and Democrats, asked Trump on Sunday to “undo” the diesel supply agreement with Russia. They said the agreement could violate a law passed in 2022 to support Ukraine in its war efforts against Russia.
“We should be tightening sanctions, not undermining them by allowing Russian diesel imports and risking erasing our influence, damaging our credibility with allies, and emboldening our adversaries,” Republican Senator Jerry Moran said in a social media post.
Trump said that the Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries are a major factor behind the rise in diesel prices.
Trump wrote in a post on social media: “I made the right decision for the American people... Always, America first!”
On Monday, Trump rejected the criticism leveled by some members of the Republican Party of the agreement, while speaking to reporters as he left the White House on a trip to Ohio.
“Well, I guess these Republicans can't really be serious,” he said. “We can impose restrictions on oil, but the rest of the world will be affected very significantly if we do that.”
Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky exchanged criticism early this week regarding the Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries. Trump said that Ukraine needs a new president, while Zelensky pledged to hold elections if Russia agreed to a 60-day ceasefire.
Finland is the latest critic
After the European Union's criticism of the "diesel agreement", Finland was the latest European country to criticize the agreement, as Finnish Foreign Minister Elena Valtonen said on Tuesday that providing the Russian "authoritarian" war machine with additional revenues was "not a good idea."
At a forum held in Singapore, Valtonen said, according to Reuters, that the United States, as the leader of the free world, must stand by Ukraine, which she described as having “chosen to be liberated from Russia’s oppression.”
Valtonen added: “The rest of the world should stand with the victim, and certainly those countries that still want to be strong for the principle of freedom.”
The Minister called on European Union member states to stop issuing tourist visas to Russian citizens until Russia ends its war against Ukraine.
Valtonen went on to say: “I hear from all my colleagues in the European Union agreement on this principle, and I am completely certain that all European Union countries will now begin to further tighten restrictions on tourist visas for Russians, especially since Russia is also waging a hybrid war against Europe.”
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said that Russia will be able to restore diesel exports to levels exceeding those announced by US President Donald Trump under an agreement with Moscow, sparking criticism from Ukraine and some US lawmakers.
On Friday, Trump announced Russia's approval to supply diesel to global markets, saying that his administration had temporarily lifted US sanctions on Russian fuel, which were designed to deprive Moscow of any revenues it might use in its war with Ukraine.
Novak told the state channel “Russia-24”: “We will see how the situation develops, but Russia has the ability to increase diesel fuel exports... By the end of the year, exports may range between 3 million and 3.5 million tons per month, returning to the levels they were before the crisis.”
Russia's diesel exports collapsed due to Ukrainian attacks on oil refineries and Moscow's own restrictions on foreign sales.
Russia has frequently targeted Ukraine's energy infrastructure since it launched a full-scale war in 2022.
Before Ukraine launched a wave of drone attacks on Russian oil refineries during 2024 and 2025, Russia's diesel exports exceeded 3 million tons per month.
Despite Moscow's self-imposed export ban, Russia continued to supply diesel to countries, mostly in Central Asia, under government agreements.
Sources in the sector said, according to Reuters, that Russian diesel exports to Central Asia amounted to 427 thousand tons last month.
The Kingdom is moving to enhance its capabilities in producing gas and liquefied gas, through the expansion of facilities and infrastructure related to the sector, in the context of the growing demand for gas and its role in the energy mix, as Saudi Aramco aims to increase gas sales by 80 percent by 2030, compared to the levels of 2020 and 2021.
This is what was revealed by the Executive Vice President of the Gas Business Sector at Saudi Aramco, Abdul Karim Al-Ghamdi, during the dialogue session within the work of the World Petroleum Conference, in Riyadh, today, revealing the establishment and start of operation of between 6 and 7 gas and liquefied gas facilities during the period from 2025 to 2027.
He said that oil production assets and export capabilities are distributed in different regions of Saudi Arabia, which enhances the ability to deal with unrest and unexpected scenarios, and that his country has an extensive gas network, in addition to the main gas system that extends thousands of kilometers from east to west.
He explained that more than 90 percent of the materials needed by Aramco were provided from local sources during the turmoil associated with global conflicts, and that his company relies on partnerships in a number of assets and facilities, including refining facilities and pipeline networks.
According to Al-Ghamdi, the flexibility of the energy sector is not limited to dealing with crises after they occur, but rather includes anticipating potential failures, protecting assets, diversifying their locations geographically, and ensuring their ability to work in exceptional circumstances.
He added that Aramco relies on integrated operating systems, interconnected supply chains, and advanced data analysis solutions to help protect facilities and reduce the risks of disruption.
