Former Vice President Kamala Harris on Sunday, October 11, criticized President Donald Trump’s agreement to import diesel fuel from Russia, stating the move would help fund the Russian military. The criticism followed the president's Friday announcement that Moscow would provide the United States and global markets with supplies of diesel to address rising domestic energy costs.
The agreement comes amid a U.S. war in Iran that has led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Gasoline and diesel prices have risen significantly over the past year, with AAA reporting average regular gas at $4.36 per gallon on Monday, October 12, compared to $3.08 one year ago. Diesel has risen from $3.67 to $6.27 per gallon over the same period.
President Trump stated on Truth Social that he concluded discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin to supply 300,000 tons of diesel immediately, followed by 500,000 tons in November and 1,000,000 tons thereafter. In conjunction with the announcement, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued a temporary general license to authorize these supplies through April 7, 2027.
While the administration is authorizing the import of fuel to lower costs, oil analysts told news outlets the volume is insufficient to significantly shift the $6.27 national average price for diesel. For a typical household or small business owner, the current $2.60 per gallon year-over-year increase in diesel costs—which inflates the price of transported goods—is unlikely to see a substantial reduction before the upcoming midterm elections.
The deal follows a shift in U.S. policy regarding Russia. A 2022 law prohibits the import of Russian petroleum products until the war in Ukraine ends, and President Trump signed sanctions targeting Russian energy revenues less than a month ago. By lifting these restrictions to facilitate the diesel deal, the administration is providing Russia with a new revenue stream during its conflict with Ukraine. This move has drawn criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who described the easing of sanctions as an "investment in war," and from bipartisan members of Congress who recently granted the president expanded tariff powers intended to increase economic pressure on Moscow.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control's general license is currently effective and is scheduled to expire on April 7, 2027. The first shipment of 300,000 tons is intended for immediate delivery. In the international sphere, the deal coincides with a proposed "energy truce" between Russia and Ukraine, where both sides have expressed a conditional willingness to stop targeting each other's energy infrastructure. However, the impact of the fuel deal on U.S. intelligence sharing with Ukraine remains a subject of debate, following reports that U.S. officials warned Ukraine that access to intelligence could be cut off if it continued to strike Russian refineries.