Trump says Putin agreed to release Russian diesel; US Treasury eases sanctions until April 2027

Mixed · 2President Donald Trump said on Friday 9 October 2026, in a Truth Social post after a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, that Russia had agreed to immediately supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel to the American and global marketplace. 1 2 Mixed · 2Trump said a further 500,000 tons would follow in November and 1 million tons "immediately thereafter", then 3 million tons "within a short period of time" depending on the condition of Russian refineries, which Raw Story calculated adds up to 4.8 million tons. 3 4 Mixed · 2The US Treasury Department said shortly afterwards that it was issuing a temporary general licence permitting transactions related to Russian diesel, including importation into the US, through 7 April 2027. 5 6

Mixed · 2Kirill Dmitriev, an envoy of Putin, praised the arrangement on X, writing that "Russia-US cooperation on diesel and energy will benefit the world." 2 7 Left · 1Trump framed the move as part of efforts to cut fuel costs, writing that lower prices for farmers, ranchers and truckers were his "Greatest Priority", and tied it to what he called US "TOTAL CONTROL" of the Strait of Hormuz. 8 Mixed · 3The US average diesel price was $6.28 a gallon on 8 October according to AAA, below the record of about $6.53 set on 22 September but far above a year ago; outlets describe prices as roughly doubled or up 70% since the war with Iran began in February, with midterm elections on 3 November. 8 6 2

Centre · 1AP described the announcement as a reversal of years of US pressure on Moscow over Ukraine, coming weeks after Trump signed a sweeping Russia sanctions law that directs tariffs on top buyers of Russian energy. 4 Right · 1The New York Post noted that many provisions of that law can be waived by the president and that Trump imposed major oil sanctions on Russia last October but issued waivers this year because of the Iran conflict. 1 Left · 1Raw Story pointed out that Trump's post did not mention sanctions, while Putin said eight days earlier that Russia had enough diesel but that sanctions kept it off international markets; it also noted Russia has banned its own diesel exports since July after Ukrainian drone strikes on refineries, and that it was not immediately clear whether the Kremlin had confirmed Trump's terms. 3

Mixed · 2AP reported Trump was expected to discuss a suspected case of plague in Russia in the call but instead announced the diesel deal; the announcement follows other recent fuel measures, including an order allowing tax-exempt red-dyed diesel on highways. 4 8 Right · 1Reuters reported that three industry sources said Trump would soon direct department heads to find ways to control diesel prices, possibly using the Defense Production Act. 6