Russia US Fuel Trade: Taking a very shocking decision, US President Donald Trump has announced to buy a large amount of diesel from Russia. Shortly after his phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump said on social media that Moscow would supply America with 4.8 million tons, or about 36 million barrels, of diesel. The decision comes at a time when Russia itself is facing a serious crisis in its energy sector and the new rules of US sanctions are also standing in the way of such a deal. Russian refineries have been hit hard by Ukraine’s frequent drone attacks, and Russia’s diesel exports have nearly halved this year. In such a situation, the question has become big where Moscow will collect oil consignments on such a large scale.

Complete calculation of supply, fuel in installments

The phone conversation between Trump and Putin was initially supposed to be about a suspected case of the plague in Russia. However, after the conversation, Trump said that Russia will immediately send more than 3 lakh tons of diesel to America. After this, 5 lakh tonnes of additional fuel will be shipped in the month of November and 10 lakh tonnes of diesel will be supplied immediately thereafter. If all these parts are combined, the total amount comes to 48 lakh tonnes. If calculated according to the standard scale of 7.45 barrels per tonne of diesel, this amount comes to approximately 3.58 crore barrels.

However, even after this big announcement, many fundamentals remain hidden. Neither the US administration nor the Russian government has clarified who will pay for this heavy fuel. Also, no fixed date or time limit has been announced yet as to when the consignment of the remaining 30 lakh tonnes of diesel will start arriving.

Russia crisis, oil will be delivered as promised?

Russia’s diesel exports have averaged 5.5 million barrels per day since July, S&P Global data showed. In the first half of the year 2026, this figure was about 1 million barrels per day, which means it has been reduced by almost half. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), Russian production has fallen by 30 percent due to Ukraine’s attack. Moscow had imposed restrictions on diesel exports since July to protect the domestic market.

Trump’s deal looks quite complicated if compared to Russia’s current export capacity. The first tranche of 3 lakh tonnes means about 2.2 lakh barrels, equivalent to four days of Russia’s current exports. November’s consignment of 5 lakh tonnes amounted to about 3.7 lakh barrels, or about 1.24 lakh barrels per day, which is about 25 percent of Russia’s current export flow. If we look at the entire deal at 4.8 lakh tonnes, at today’s pace it is equal to 65 days of Russia’s total exports. However, Trump has not given a timetable for the final 3 million tons, so it is not yet possible to determine the exact impact of the entire figure.

Announcement of immediate lifting of sanctions

Following this announcement, the Russian government has signaled to act quickly. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak told state news agency TASS that Russia was immediately starting to lift restrictions on diesel exports ahead of schedule. He claimed that Russia could start supplying the US this month and there would be full availability of diesel in the domestic market as well.

In a statement issued from the Kremlin, President Putin said that the talks focused on the possibilities of resolving the Ukrainian crisis. Apart from this, the status of Iran and many aspects of mutual relations were discussed. Putin said that Russia is fully ready to send oil and petroleum products to the American and global markets, which will have a positive impact on the entire global economy. However, presidential aide Yuri Ushakov did not say what concessions the US has given Russia in return, or whether Russia has been given any specific promises.

New discount from exchequer, price war ahead of elections

Immediately after this announcement, the US Treasury Department issued a temporary license, under which Russian diesel is allowed to be sold on the global market. This is the latest discount on Russian fuel since the start of the Iran war earlier this year. For the first time since the outbreak of the Ukraine war in February 2022, diesel licenses have been extended beyond the normal period of 30 days. As of Friday, under the new license, US restrictions on Russian diesel loaded into tankers will not apply until April 2027.

The decision comes at a time when US midterm elections are near and skyrocketing fuel prices are troubling voters. According to Triple-A (AAA), the national average price of diesel in the US was $6.28 a gallon on Friday, down from a record high of $6.52 on September 22. Trump made no mention of the Ukraine war or sanctions in his message. He wrote that lowering prices for farmers, ranchers and truck drivers is his top priority. After this, while leaving for the rally, he said that he is thankful to President Putin because of the huge amount of oil and diesel coming into the country. However, analysts believe that the deal is not expected to reduce American prices further. According to Clayton Siegel of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, this would help Russia get rid of its summer-grade diesel before winter. Michael Lynch of the Energy Policy Research Foundation says that American imports will force old Russian customers to find alternatives, leaving overall prices roughly the same as before.