First Russian Diesel Shipment Since 2023 En Route to New York Under Trump-Putin Supply Agreement

A tanker carrying 40,000 tons of diesel departed Russia for New York earlier this week, marking the first delivery of Russian diesel to the United States since 2023. The shipment follows an October agreement between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin to release substantial fuel volumes into global markets.

The arrangement comes as U.S. diesel prices have surged past $6 per gallon, placing pressure on the administration ahead of the midterm elections. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed Friday that regular supplies would continue following the initial voyage.

Diesel has shot to more than $6 per gallon in the U.S. (Rebecca Noble/Bloomberg/Getty Images, File / Getty Images)

As part of the October 9 agreement, Putin committed to supplying over 300,000 tons of diesel immediately to American and global markets, followed by 500,000 tons in November and 1 million tons shortly thereafter. Trump later stated on Truth Social that Russia would ultimately deliver up to 3 million tons, citing the condition of Russian refineries.

To facilitate the deal, the administration waived most sanctions on Russian energy purchases under the Graham Act, legislation originally backed by the late Senator Lindsey Graham.

Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to flood the global supply with diesel under a deal with President Donald Trump earlier this month. (Mikhail Metzel/Pool/AFP, File / Getty Images)

The arrangement has drawn sharp criticism. Retired Marine Corps Major General Arnold Punaro told Fox News the initial 40,000-ton shipment would cover only a few hours of U.S. diesel consumption. Speaking on “America Reports,” Punaro acknowledged the legitimacy of lowering fuel prices but warned against the strategic implications.

“The president has a number of positive initiatives in that regard,” Punaro said. “However, I don’t think lifting sanctions on Russia and buying diesel fuel from Russia and fueling their war machine — which yesterday just had another massive ballistic missile attack on Kyiv, killing women and children, knocking out their energy grid — is the right approach. My hope would be they kind of change their mind, beef up the other initiatives they have, turn that tanker around and go in a different direction.”

Punaro emphasized that Putin’s objectives extend beyond Ukraine, describing the Russian leader’s goal as restoring Soviet-era territorial boundaries. “He was never going to stop with Ukraine. That’s why we’ve got to stop him in Ukraine,” he said.

President Donald Trump was under pressure to lower diesel prices before the midterms. (Alex Wong/Getty Images, File / Getty Images)

Trump characterized the discussions with Putin as “highly successful” and framed the agreement as a victory for American consumers, particularly farmers, ranchers, and truckers. The president has cited U.S. control of the Strait of Hormuz combined with the Russian supply commitment as factors that will drive prices down “in record numbers, and fast.”

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