Trump Says Putin Agrees to Major Russian Diesel Release
President Donald Trump says Vladimir Putin agreed to release more than 300,000 tons of Russian diesel immediately, with further supplies planned in November and afterward.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to release large quantities of diesel into American and global markets, presenting the move as an effort to ease elevated energy costs amid the war with Iran.
Trump said on his Truth Social platform that Russia would "immediately supply over 300,000 tons of diesel fuel to the American and global marketplace" following talks with Putin.
He said Moscow would provide another 500,000 tons in November, followed by one million tons shortly afterward.
Trump described the agreement as a major development that he said could quickly reduce fuel costs.
"Lower prices for Americans, especially our Great Farmers, Ranchers, and Truckers, is my Greatest Priority," Trump wrote.
The announcement comes only weeks before U.S. midterm elections, with cost-of-living pressures and energy prices among the issues facing American voters.
To facilitate the additional supply, the U.S. Treasury Department issued a temporary license allowing Russian diesel to reach global markets through April 2027.
The move comes despite extensive U.S. and allied sanctions imposed on Russia since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Temporary exemptions allowing Russian energy exports have generated concern that increased sales could provide Moscow with additional revenue while the war continues.
Russia currently occupies roughly one-fifth of Ukrainian territory, according to the AFP report.
Trump's announcement also came as U.S., Ukrainian and European officials were expected to meet in Miami as part of renewed diplomatic efforts to seek an end to the war.
The diesel arrangement therefore places two U.S. priorities alongside one another: easing pressure on global energy markets while maintaining efforts to influence Russia over Ukraine.
Trump emphasized the potential economic benefits, arguing that additional Russian supply could help bring down diesel prices at a time of heightened energy-market pressure.
The administration has already pursued other steps aimed at increasing fuel availability as the conflict with Iran has added further strain to global energy markets.
For now, the scale and timing outlined by Trump would make Russian diesel an additional source of supply through the coming months, while the temporary sanctions authorization provides the mechanism for those exports to reach U.S. and international buyers.