Trump's Russian diesel deal: no cargo reaches US as tankers divert

Exports double while no cargo reaches America

In October, Russia shipped 271,000 barrels of diesel a day to foreign markets, up from 135,000 in September, according to Kpler shipping data. The increase followed Donald Trump's announcement on 9 October of an agreement with Vladimir Putin to raise diesel supplies for the United States and other markets. The deal came as Washington pressed Ukraine to stop strikes on Russian oil refineries. Russian exports climbed toward Brazil, Turkey and other regions, but none of the cargoes meant for the United States has reached an American port.

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135 thousand barrels per day

2026-10

271 thousand barrels per day

Data from the article text

Tankers change course

The Agioi Fanendes, a Malta-flagged tanker, left the Russian port of Primorsk near St Petersburg on 23 October carrying 300,000 barrels of diesel, originally bound for New York. Since the night of 10 November it has been manoeuvring at very low speed in a zigzag pattern in international North Atlantic waters, about 80 kilometres from the US exclusive economic zone, Kpler vessel-tracking data show. Kpler's positions come from ship transponder signals, which could not be matched with satellite imagery. Its Greek owner, Eastmed, told AFP on 11 November that the ship had not received instructions for a destination port.

Two other sanctioned ships, the Leruo and the Talisman, also left Primorsk for the United States before diverting. The Leruo, owned by a Hong Kong company and flagged in Sierra Leone, is sanctioned by the United Kingdom, the European Union and Canada, and is now heading toward Brazil. The Talisman, a tanker of about 20 years sanctioned by the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union, has left the Atlantic route and is heading for Egyptian Mediterranean waters.

Doubts in Washington and the wider sanctions picture

Focus, citing the Wall Street Journal, reports that US oil companies are hesitant to accept Russian diesel despite the instruction from above, with industry representatives and lobbyists fearing legal consequences or reputational damage. Michelle Wiese Bockmann, a senior analyst at the shipping data firm Windward, named political, compliance and sanctions enforcement challenges. Some members of Congress have said the trade is unlawful, and international sanctions on Russian goods still apply. Democratic politicians in several states have threatened heavy sanctions against ports and companies that handle Russian diesel.

The size of the deal is also disputed. Focus refers to at least 1.8 million tonnes with prospects of three million more, VRT NWS describes 300,000 tonnes, then 500,000 tonnes in November and a further one million tonnes, and Bloomberg puts the agreement at roughly 36 million barrels.

Fuel prices and the midterms

The latest data show US diesel stocks have fallen below 100 million barrels for the first time in more than two decades. Trump aimed to lower pump prices before the 3 November congressional elections, which N-tv describes as a broad setback for Republicans. Ukraine and its European allies sharply criticised the agreement. Marijn Trio, a Russia expert at VRT NWS, said the limited volumes were always unlikely to make a visible difference to US diesel prices, and noted that no cargo had reached the United States at all.