Trump’s Russian Diesel Plan Opens Sanctions Relief
Trump announced a Russian diesel supply plan on October 9, 2026, as the Treasury Department issued sanctions relief for qualifying cargoes. He said the aim was lower fuel prices, while Ukraine objected to easing pressure on Moscow during peace negotiations.
The announced quantities were more than 300,000 tons immediately, 500,000 tons in November, 1 million tons soon afterward and a further 3 million tons within a short period. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control issued General License 135, authorizing specified transactions involving the sale, delivery, offloading and importation of Russian-origin diesel.[1][2][3][4][5]
AP reported that the license applied to diesel already loaded onto tankers by October 9, with sanctions relief extending to April 2027. The White House had not disclosed the buyer, payment terms or delivery timetable in that reporting. The license authorizes qualifying transactions; it is not a delivery record.[4][5][2]
Ukraine negotiations and competing accounts
The announcement coincided with Miami talks involving U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner and Ukrainian officials. Axios described eight hours of discussions covering security guarantees, territorial proposals, reconstruction and military funding.[2][6]
A U.S. official told Axios that Trump acted after repeated requests for Ukraine to stop striking Russian refineries. A Ukrainian official alleged that the envoys threatened to cut U.S. intelligence sharing; the U.S. official denied making a threat and said they urged Ukraine not to harm American consumers.[2][6]
Volodymyr Zelenskyy opposed sanctions relief without reciprocal, lasting de-escalation. He said Ukraine was prepared to stop attacks on Russian energy facilities if Russia stopped attacking Ukraine’s. Trump said lower prices for farmers, ranchers and truckers were his priority.[6][2]
Fuel prices and European opposition
AP reported average U.S. diesel prices of about $6.28 a gallon on October 9, following a reported $6.53 record on September 22. Analysts differed over how much the Russian cargoes might help: some said they could largely redirect existing supply, while another expected limited easing. These were forecasts made around the announcement, rather than measured effects of delivered cargoes.[7][2]
The Guardian reported European opposition to relaxing pressure on Russia. EU foreign-policy chief Kaja Kallas said Russian energy revenue supports the war; Germany and Sweden reaffirmed support for sanctions. The report also described a planned additional EU sanctions action, separate from measures already enacted.[1]