Trump Says Putin Will Sell Russian Diesel to the US and the World, and Zelensky Calls It a "Weak Decision"

Millions of tons of Russian diesel are about to flow to the world, and Washington just opened the tap. President Trump said on Friday he had struck a deal with Vladimir Putin in a phone call that was expected to be about a suspected case of plague in Russia, NPR and AP report.

“Russia will immediately supply over 300,000 Tons of Diesel Fuel to the American and Global Marketplace, another 500,000 Tons during the month of November, and 1,000,000 Tons immediately thereafter.”

— Donald Trump, US president, on Truth Social (via Kyiv Independent)

Trump says the total adds up to more than 4 million tons, including another 3 million tons later. Within minutes of his post, the Treasury issued a general licence permitting the sale, delivery and import of Russian diesel, including into the United States, until April 2027.

Why now

Diesel prices have jumped around the world. Ukraine has hit Russian refineries with drones for months, and Moscow banned diesel exports. With US midterm elections in November, Trump is under pressure to bring prices down. The Kremlin said Russia "confirmed its readiness" to supply oil and oil products to the American and global markets, and that Putin and Trump also discussed Ukraine and Iran.

Kyiv's reaction

Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky reacted within hours. He said the move rewards Moscow without any promise to stop the war and that Ukraine's own negotiators, who are in Florida for talks, were being used as cover.

“Allowing Russia to sell petroleum products is an investment in a war that must be ended, not prolonged.”

— Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukrainian president, on social media (via CNBC)

He called it "a weak decision, unfortunately, a weak decision by strong partners". Kyiv says it would stop hitting Russian refineries if Russia stops attacking Ukraine's energy system, an offer it says Washington knows about.

@visegrad24, whose post is the source of this Signal, reported the first 800,000 tons due by the end of November. Putin had said on 1 October that Russia had enough diesel but that sanctions kept it from supplying the world.