Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin’s diesel deal appears to be falling apart as tankers carrying Russian fuel toward the U.S. have turned back or veered off course.
In a controversial announcement in early October, Trump unveiled an agreement with the Russian dictator aimed at lowering fuel prices. Under the deal, Putin would supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel, followed by a further 500,000 tons in November and 1 million tons “immediately thereafter.”
Relations between Trump and Putin have grown warmer over the last few weeks.
The U.S. has not imported Russian diesel since April 2022, following a ban imposed in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. No Russian diesel has reached the country under the deal, with buyers wary of potential legal consequences.
Senior Democrats and Republicans in Congress have argued that Trump’s decision to exempt diesel from U.S. sanctions on Russia was illegal. Companies also fear breaching international sanctions and facing legal action, as the U.K., EU and Switzerland continue to ban Russian fuel imports, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.
Three diesel tankers carrying Russian diesel and headed to the U.S. veered off course last week, and the product tanker Agioi Fanendes stalled near the U.S. coast on Monday. Its listed destination changed from New York to a likely destination in South America, the Journal reported, citing data from ship-tracking service Kpler.
Agioi Fanendes, a Malta-flagged medium-sized tanker.
The vessel’s “discharging port is not confirmed yet,” its manager, Eastern Mediterranean Maritime, told the publication on Wednesday morning.
A Trump administration official insisted that the president’s deal will succeed.
“Consistent with the deal agreed to between President Trump and President Putin, Russian diesel is on the water and heading to the market, which will ease prices for Americans,” the official told the Daily Beast in a statement.
“As the president has said, this is a deal for the world,” the official added. “This deal was made to add diesel supply to the global market—lowering prices for Americans and the world—which is exactly what will be done.”
Relations between Trump and Putin have grown warmer over the last few weeks, alarming Ukraine and its allies in Washington and Europe.
Trump last month moved to waive tariffs and sanctions targeting Russian energy buyers and officials, offering little explanation beyond saying the decision served the “national interests” of the U.S. Russia then released jailed U.S. citizen Stephen Hubbard.
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