New York : US President Donald Trump, who has imposed tariffs on countries including India for buying Russian crude, is now turning to Moscow for large diesel supplies as rising fuel prices. Trump on Friday said that Russia had agreed to immediately supply more than 300,000 metric tons of diesel to the US and global markets, with another 500,000 metric tons due in November and 1 million metric tons thereafter, drawing criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The agreement was announced as a Ukrainian delegation was in the US for discussions on efforts to resolve the conflict with Russia, which began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. “Russia will ‘repay’ the diesel with further terror and perfidy,” he added, calling for genuine de-escalation on a reciprocal basis. Zelenskyy said the arrangement would provide Moscow with additional resources to continue the war and undermine efforts to reach a settlement.
Justifying his move, Trump said the Russian supplies would help bring down fuel costs for American consumers, particularly farmers, ranchers and truckers, as diesel prices remain elevated. The announcement comes a week after G7 countries agreed to release 100 million barrels of oil and diesel amid pressure from the White House, as fuel prices remain elevated in the US. Diesel prices, which affect agriculture, home heating and freight transport, have risen 70% since the US-Israel war on Iran began this year, despite efforts by Trump to boost supplies.
The US Treasury Department issued a general licence on Friday permitting imports of Russian diesel until April 7. The move comes despite Washington’s sanctions on Russian energy companies over the war in Ukraine. The announcement comes a week after G7 countries agreed to release 100 million barrels of oil and diesel amid pressure from the White House, as fuel prices remain elevated in the US. Diesel prices, which affect agriculture, home heating and freight transport, have risen 70% since the US-Israel war on Iran began this year, despite efforts by Trump to boost supplies.
The US Treasury Department issued a general licence on Friday permitting imports of Russian diesel until April 7. The move comes despite Washington’s sanctions on Russian energy companies over the war in Ukraine. Kirill Dmitriev, an envoy for Putin, also welcomed US-Russia cooperation on diesel and energy in a post on X following the leaders’ conversation.
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