First Russian Diesel Tanker Heads to United States Under Putin-Trump Deal
A Malta-flagged tanker loaded 40,000 metric tons of ultra-low sulfur diesel at a Baltic port and is expected in New York on November 7, the first Russian oil product to reach America since 2022.
The current price of diesel fuel is displayed at a gas station in Encinitas, California, US, October 21, 2026. REUTERS.
The first Russian diesel tanker bound for the United States under the Putin-Trump deal is heading for New York, ship-tracking data released on Friday, October 23, shows.
The Malta-flagged tanker Agioi Fanendes loaded 40,000 metric tons of ultra-low sulfur diesel at Primorsk, a Russian port on the Baltic Sea, on October 22. Data from the London Stock Exchange Group shows the vessel is expected to reach the United States on November 7. Nobody has disclosed who bought or sold the cargo.
It will be the first Russian oil product imported by the United States since former President Joe Biden banned Russian oil and petroleum imports in 2022. Trump announced the agreement on October 9, after a phone call with President Vladimir Putin. He has presented it as part of an effort to bring down rising diesel prices ahead of the November 3 midterm elections.
To make the deal work, Trump waived parts of a new sanctions law aimed at Russia. He also threatened Europe with a ban on American diesel exports unless countries released more fuel from their emergency reserves. The Treasury Department issued a temporary license that allowed Russian diesel to enter the market.
Under the terms, Russia agreed to export 300,000 metric tons of diesel immediately, equal to 2.25 million barrels, to the United States and other markets. Trump said a further 500,000 tons would follow in November, with one million tons to be exported “immediately thereafter.” Russia also had to lift a self-imposed ban on diesel exports. Moscow introduced that ban to ease domestic shortages caused by Ukrainian drone attacks on its refineries.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed on Friday that the first Russian diesel tanker had departed. He did not say whether it was bound for the United States or another market. “As far as I’m aware, there have already been reports from the Ministry of Energy that the first tanker has, in fact, set sail for its recipients, its buyers,” Peskov said on a daily conference call. “Further shipments will continue at a steady pace from here on.”
Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Wednesday that the first tanker would leave on Thursday with 40,000 metric tons. He said more shipments would follow as companies from both countries finalize the contracts. Kirill Dmitriev, a Putin envoy who also heads Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, said last week that the Treasury Department asked the fund to help resolve complicated payment problems tied to the agreement. Novak also said Russia expects to bring diesel exports back to their usual level of 3 million to 3.5 million tons a month by the end of the year.
The wider market is already moving. Since the European Union imposed a full embargo on Russian oil products in February 2023 over the war in Ukraine, Russia has sold diesel mainly to Turkey, Brazil and African countries. It also supplies Central Asia by rail. Shipping data from the London Stock Exchange Group and the analytics firm Kpler this week showed Russian cargoes returning to those traditional markets after Moscow lifted its export ban. At least two tankers have signaled voyages to Turkey and Brazil. Other cargoes loaded at Primorsk list destinations including Gibraltar, the Atlantic Coast and Port Said, though their final stops are unclear.
The diesel deal has also strained relations between Washington and Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the arrangement “a happy birthday present for Putin.” Trump has blamed Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries for high fuel prices in the United States, and Ukrainian officials worry that the energy agreement eases pressure on Moscow. American envoy Steve Witkoff thanked Putin for lifting the export restrictions in St. Petersburg on Wednesday.
For now, the Russian diesel tanker is the only cargo with a confirmed route to the United States, and its November 7 arrival will be the first real test of the agreement.
