President Donald Trump announced on Friday, October 9, 2026, that he reached an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin to supply Russian diesel to the global market. The Treasury Department announced the same day that it would temporarily waive sanctions on Russia's energy sector to facilitate the fuel flows. The announcement follows a phone call between the two leaders originally intended to discuss a suspected plague case in Russia.
The deal represents a change in U.S. policy toward Moscow, which has faced energy sanctions since its invasion of Ukraine more than four and a half years ago. Last month, President Trump signed a sanctions law intended to limit Russian oil and gas revenue. This new agreement was announced as U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were meeting with Ukrainian officials in Miami to discuss a proposal to end the conflict.
Under terms posted by President Trump on social media, Russia will immediately supply 300,000 tons of diesel, followed by 500,000 tons in November and 1 million tons immediately thereafter. Based on refinery conditions, Russia is then expected to deliver an additional 3,000,000 tons within a short period. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized the decision, stating that the revenue would help bankroll Russian military operations and prolong the war.
For international relations, the move affects the Ukrainian government and its citizens. President Zelenskyy stated the deal would allow Russia to "kill more" and described it as a "weak decision by strong partners." The waiver of energy sanctions reverses a policy intended to drain the financial resources Moscow uses for its military. In the immediate term, residents in Ukraine remain under fire; on Saturday, October 10, Russian strikes killed at least 11 people, including three children, in the Zaporizhzhia region.
What happens next: The Treasury Department's temporary sanctions waiver is intended to allow the immediate transfer of the first 300,000 tons of diesel. A second shipment of 500,000 tons is scheduled for November 2026, with 1 million tons to follow. The timeline for the delivery of the final 3,000,000 tons remains described as "within a short period of time." Monitoring of fuel price changes in the U.S. will likely continue leading up to the November midterm elections.