On 9 October, President Donald Trump announced a deal to buy Russian diesel, a sharp break from years of Western economic pressure on Moscow. He said President Vladimir Putin had agreed to supply more than 300,000 tonnes immediately, then 500,000 tonnes in November and 1 million tonnes soon after, with a further 3 million tonnes later depending on the state of Russian refineries. The Treasury Department issued a temporary licence suspending US sanctions on Russian diesel deliveries until April 2027, according to a Council on Foreign Relations explainer.
The stated aim is to lower fuel prices. US diesel averaged 6.18 dollars a gallon on 12 October, up from 3.48 dollars at the start of the year. Analysts cited by the CFR say the volumes are too small to move global prices, with Kpler estimating the world’s supply deficit at about 1 million barrels a day, and see the move as mainly political ahead of the midterm elections on 3 November.
Opposition has been broad. Twelve members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, from both parties, urged the president to reverse the decision, and 22 House members asked the administration to justify it. Lawmakers have also questioned its legality. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the decision a “weak one” that plays into Russia’s hands. Kyiv was reportedly asked to halt strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, and reports say Washington threatened to withhold arms and intelligence if it did not. Zelenskyy said Ukraine would stop only if Russia did too, or if the United States supplied more Patriot interceptors. Ukraine paused its strikes for three days and then resumed them.
European governments were uneasy. The European Council’s draft summit conclusions said it “regrets” the American decision, and on 12 October the EU adopted its largest-ever sanctions package, with nearly 1,600 new listings.
The episode shows how the energy shock is pulling Western policy in opposite directions. Washington wants cheaper fuel at home, while allies argue that easing sanctions rewards Moscow while the war continues.