On October 9, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin held a telephone conversation, after which they announced that the United States and Russia had agreed to supply Russian diesel fuel to the American and global markets. At the same time, the US Treasury Department issued a temporary license allowing the supply of Russian diesel to the global market, bypassing US sanctions.
In the second half of October, the first tankers loaded with Russian diesel oil left Russian ports. However, this was the last good news for the leaders of the US and Russia.
The British daily Financial Times writes on Thursday that the Russian tanker Talisman and the Hong Kong-owned but Sierra Leone-flagged tanker Leruo no longer indicate the American Atlantic coast as their destination. Both entities are subject to Western sanctions.
On Monday, the two merchant ships suddenly changed direction - the Leruo headed towards Brazil, and the Talisman headed from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. It is currently located off the coast of Algeria. The unit signals that it is "waiting for instructions", which suggests that the cargo does not yet have a confirmed buyer or destination port.
There are also two other tankers that were loaded with Russian diesel.
The third vessel, the Greek-owned Agioi Fanendes, has the same status as Talisman ("waiting for instructions"), but is still sailing towards the US. Agioi Fanendes is the first tanker carrying Russian diesel to the USA - it left the port of Primorsk on October 22 and is expected to deliver 40,000 tonnes. tons of fuel to New York by November 7.
The fourth tanker - owned by Seychelles and subject to Western sanctions - Beast - is the only one that appears to be heading normally (at least for now) towards the Atlantic coast of the US. The unit was loaded with Russian fuel on October 27.
Two out of three tankers with Russian diesel heading to the USA were redirected to other routes, says Matt Smith, an analyst from Kpler, in an interview with the British daily. A third tanker, the Agioi Fanendes, is scheduled to arrive in New York this weekend. However, given the clear hesitation of American buyers - resulting from regulatory, legislative and sanctions issues - it would not be a big surprise if this tanker also changed its route from the USA, he adds.
When announcing an agreement with Vladimir Putin on the supply of Russian diesel oil, Donald Trump claimed that this move would reduce fuel prices in the US. However, analysts and experts predict that this is unlikely.
The Wall Street Journal, citing data from the American Automobile Association, reported at the end of October that fuel prices in the US increased by another seven cents after the announcement of the US-Russian agreement.
On Thursday, the Financial Times draws attention to the further deterioration of the diesel supply situation in the USA. New data shows inventories have fallen below 100 million barrels for the first time in more than two decades. Limited supply threatens to further burden the fuel market, which is the basis for the functioning of the American economy.
"Donald Trump's controversial gambit to import Russian diesel into the US ahead of the midterm elections appears to be falling apart," the British daily concludes.
