U.S. President Donald Trump announced an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 9 to sell Russian diesel to the United States and other countries. The White House said the policy would help lower Americans’ living costs, while critics warned it would weaken pressure on Moscow.

Deliveries could arrive before U.S. elections

Polish outlet RMF24 reported that the arrangement covered 4.8 million tonnes of diesel over the coming months. It said sanctions on Russian fuel would be suspended until April 2027.

Accounts differ on the volume: one Greek report described a 300,000-tonne agreement, while another called that amount an initial delivery within a larger plan. Whether any shipments have reached the United States remains unconfirmed.

An unnamed U.S. source told the New York Post that fuel could arrive within two weeks if arrangements were completed. That would put the deliveries ahead of the November 3 congressional elections. Russia said it had pledged a significant amount of fuel, according to RMF24.

Advertisement

Meloni warns of weaker pressure on Moscow

The decision drew criticism from Democrats and some Republicans, RMF24 reported. A White House representative said Trump’s priority was helping Americans and reducing the cost of living.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni criticized the agreement in Parliament on October 14. She said it could give Moscow legitimacy and increase the revenues supporting Putin’s war in Ukraine. She also warned that it would weaken the pressure exerted by sanctions.

Meloni acknowledged that high energy prices were putting households and businesses under strain, including in Italy. But she said the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran, rather than Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries, was driving international energy prices higher.

She also condemned what she described as increasingly severe Russian attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine. She cited power plants, hospitals and bridges.

Analysts question the scale of relief

Market analysts cited by a Greek news website said an immediate delivery of 300,000 tonnes would cover only about half a day of U.S. consumption. They estimated the global diesel shortage at 1.6 million barrels a day.

The analysts also questioned whether Russia could deliver the additional volumes within a reasonable period. They said repeated Ukrainian attacks had reduced Russian refinery capacity.