Trump announces Russian diesel deal after call with Putin; Zelensky calls it "a gift to Putin"

Key takeaways

• On Friday, 9 October, Donald Trump said on Truth Social that Vladimir Putin agreed to release over 300,000 tonnes of diesel immediately to "the American and global marketplace".
• He listed further volumes: 500,000 tonnes in November, then 1 million tonnes, and another 3 million "within a short period of time", dependent on the condition of Russia's refineries.
• The Kremlin confirmed Russia's willingness to supply oil and petroleum products to US and global markets but did not give amounts, according to the BBC.
• Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the deal as a "gift to Putin" that would be repaid "with further terror".
• Trump has framed the deal as a way to cut fuel prices ahead of US midterm elections; reports describe it as a sharp reversal of years of US pressure on Moscow.

What was announced

Trump said he had a "highly successful" call with Putin, which AP reports was expected to focus on a suspected plague case in Russia. Instead he announced the diesel arrangement. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak told Tass that Moscow is "immediately starting to lift restrictions on diesel exports ahead of schedule" and could begin shipments to the US in October while keeping its own market fully supplied. The BBC adds that Russia had introduced a diesel export ban earlier this year and that the US Treasury issued a temporary authorisation allowing Russian diesel into the market after Trump's announcement.

Only the first figure has been echoed in detail by Russian officials so far; the later volumes are Trump's own account.

Reactions

• Zelensky: called it "absolutely terrible" and "not fair and not honest" (The Guardian), said "gifts to Putin will not work for peace", and argued it is "an investment in a war that must be ended, not prolonged". He added that Ukraine's strikes on Russian refineries respond to Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy sector.
• Putin (Kremlin statement): said he and Trump gave "significant attention" to resolving the Ukraine crisis and discussed Iran, and that supplying oil to world markets would have a positive effect on the global economy.
• Analysts and critics: The BBC notes the deal cuts against a recent US law authorising sanctions and tariffs on countries that import Russian oil and gas, and could draw criticism from European allies. The Washington Post describes the volume as small compared with US demand.

Background

The Guardian reports US fuel prices have risen sharply since Washington went to war with Iran, and Trump is under pressure on pump prices before the midterms. Diesel matters for freight, farming and public transport, so changes in supply can ripple into food and transport costs well beyond the US.

What to watch

• Whether Russian officials confirm the later volumes, and when the first cargoes actually ship.
• Any formal US licences or sanctions exemptions beyond the temporary Treasury authorisation.
• Reaction from European governments and from the US Congress.
• Effect on global diesel prices. No direct impact on Pakistan has been announced; as an importer of fuel, Pakistan is exposed to global price moves, but any effect would depend on how markets respond.

This is a developing story and figures may change.