President Donald Trump announced on Friday that he has reached an agreement with Russia to increase the supply of diesel fuel to the United States and global markets, a move that has provoked a strong reaction from Ukraine. The deal includes a waiver on certain U.S. energy sanctions against Russia, a development that occurred just as Ukrainian and European diplomats arrived in Miami for negotiations aimed at ending the war.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump detailed the terms of the agreement, stating that Russia will immediately supply over 300,000 tons of diesel fuel to the American and global marketplace. He further noted that an additional 500,000 tons are scheduled for delivery during November, followed by 1,000,000 tons immediately thereafter. Trump added that Russia plans to deliver a total of 3,000,000 tons of diesel fuel within a short period. He claimed that, combined with oil coming out of the Strait of Hormuz, diesel prices for Americans and the world would come down in record numbers and fast.
The U.S. Treasury Department confirmed the administrative steps required to facilitate this trade. In a statement, the department said that it is issuing a temporary general license to permit the sale of Russian diesel to global buyers at the direction of the president.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded angrily to the announcement on X, characterizing any sanctions relief for Russia outside of a lasting de-escalation agreement as an obvious weakness. He argued that gifts to Putin would not bring peace or benefit the civilized world, warning that Russia would repay the diesel with further terror and perfidy. Zelensky described allowing Russia to sell petroleum products as an investment in a war that must be ended rather than prolonged. He stated that what is needed is real de-escalation with Russia on a reciprocal basis.
Zelensky noted that Ukraine has informed Trump's envoys, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, that it is ready to take symmetrical de-escalatory steps with Russia. He proposed an agreement where Ukraine would not set Russian oil refineries on fire if Russia does not destroy Ukrainian energy infrastructure, asserting that the United States has enough power to achieve such a compromise.
From the Russian side, Kirill Dmitriev, a special envoy who worked on the deal, described the call between the two leaders as successful on X. He added that Russia-U.S. energy and economic cooperation will continue and benefit global markets and the world.