Trump strikes deal for Russian diesel: 300,000 tons now, millions more to follow, Zelensky calls it a weak decision

US President Donald Trump said on Friday he has struck a deal with Vladimir Putin for Russian diesel, a sharp turn after years of US pressure on Moscow over the war in Ukraine, aimed at bringing down record fuel prices before the 3 November midterm elections, the Associated Press reported via NPR.

The Trump-Russia diesel deal in numbers

The White House did not say who pays for the fuel or when it will arrive. Trump wrote that lower prices for "Farmers, Ranchers, and Truckers" were his "Greatest Priority". US diesel averaged $6.23 a gallon on Friday, according to AAA, after a record $6.52 on 22 September.

Sanctions eased until April 2027

Soon after the announcement the US Treasury issued a general licence allowing Russian diesel already loaded on tankers as of Friday to be delivered without US sanctions until April 2027. It is the first such waiver on diesel longer than the usual 30 days since the Ukraine war began. A sanctions law Trump signed last month directs tariffs of up to 100% on the top importers of Russian oil and gas, and the deal casts doubt on whether those will now be imposed.

Russia itself has banned diesel exports since July, as Ukrainian drone attacks on its refineries cut output by about 30%, according to the International Energy Agency. Putin's office said Russia "confirmed its readiness to supply oil and oil products to the American and global markets".

Ukraine's reaction

President Volodymyr Zelensky called it "a weak decision, unfortunately, a weak decision by strong partners", and said Russia would repay it "with further terror and perfidy". The deal was announced while US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were meeting Ukrainian officials about a peace proposal.

What it means for Pakistan

Pakistan buys its diesel on the same world market, where prices have been driven up by the war involving Iran and the disruption around the Strait of Hormuz. More Russian diesel on the market could ease the international price that OGRA uses to set ours, but that depends on how much actually ships and when. Diesel futures dipped on the news on Friday.

For now, high-speed diesel at PSO's Karachi depot is Rs 396.24 a litre from 10 October, up 52 paisa, while petrol fell 66 paisa to Rs 398.30, Dawn reported. Follow the daily price on our diesel price page and work out a trip's cost with the fuel cost calculator.