Seven Russian tankers carrying an estimated 288,000 tonnes of diesel are sailing toward the US under a deal between Trump and Putin, but it is unclear whether they will be able to unload, according to the Guardian.
Trump announced on October 9, 2026, after a phone call with Putin, that Russia would immediately supply diesel to the US, according to The Hindu. Trump’s post listed 300,000 tons immediately, 500,000 tonnes in November, 1 million tonnes after that, then 3,000,000 tons within a short period, The Hindu reported.
The Guardian reports that Putin agreed to supply 1.8m tonnes, starting with 300,000 tonnes. The Hindu’s account adds up to a larger total than that figure. The sources do not reconcile the two.
Greenpeace tracked the seven tankers and called its monitoring the most complete yet, according to the Guardian. Of the ships, Taurus was relatively close to the US when the map was first published. Five were near the UK, and three were in or heading into the English Channel.
Trump also announced a six-month waiver on existing sanctions to allow the shipments to proceed, the Guardian reported.
The deal comes against a US law passed on September 16 that imposes steep tariffs on top purchasers of Russian oil and gas. Trump signed it two days later.
Russia will extend its diesel export ban to the end of the year, while allowing some companies to ship under a quota that will quadruple to 2 million metric tons in November, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters, the Straits Times reported.
The average US diesel price was $6.28 per gallon on the day of the announcement, up from $3.68 a year earlier, according to The Hindu. AAA later put the price at $6.33. Fuel prices are a key issue ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, amid the war on Iran.
Russia and Ukraine agreed an energy ceasefire alongside the deal, which Reuters says has allowed Moscow to increase fuel production.
Several questions remain open. The sources include no White House response to the legality claims or to the unloading questions. No confirmed US buyers have been identified, and the Guardian says it is not clear buyers are forthcoming. The Energy Ministry did not respond to a Reuters request for comment, and the Kremlin is restricting publication of oil export information.
Reuters also reports that Deputy Prime Minister Novak said three tankers were under way and a fourth would sail on October 28. That does not clearly match the seven US-bound tankers, and the sources do not reconcile the two accounts. The Hindu’s report is dated October 10, and the sources do not show whether any tankers have unloaded since.
The tanker count, the Greenpeace estimate and the sanctions waiver rest on the Guardian’s reporting alone in these sources.
Russia’s new government order, expected in early November, could expand exempt refiners and set new export limits. New Jersey’s governor is examining how to block unloading there. Whether US firms take the cargo and whether the ships can unload remain unresolved.
Sources
This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.