Putin and Trump agree to major Russian diesel fuel exports to U.S. markets

Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump held a phone call on October 9, during which they discussed Ukraine, Iran, and bilateral relations. Trump described the conversation as "highly successful" and announced that Russia has agreed to supply significant quantities of diesel fuel to American and global markets.

According to Trump's statement on Truth Social, Russia will immediately supply over 300,000 tons of diesel fuel, followed by 500,000 tons in November and 1,000,000 tons thereafter. Additionally, Russia committed to delivering 3,000,000 tons of diesel fuel within a short period, contingent on the condition of their refineries. Trump expressed confidence that these supplies would help reduce global diesel prices quickly.

On the Ukraine crisis, the Kremlin stated that considerable attention was paid to prospects for resolving the conflict. Putin reaffirmed Russia's readiness to supply oil and petroleum products to U.S. and global markets, saying "I am confident that this will have a positive impact on the entire global economy." Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov described the call as friendly and substantive, lasting approximately 1.5 hours. He noted that Russia's armed forces hold the initiative in the conflict zone.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining personal contacts between the presidents and continuing cooperation between their respective administrations, intelligence services, and other agencies. The call followed earlier visits by U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Kyiv and Moscow in September. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov indicated that a further visit by Witkoff and Kushner to Moscow could be expected, though the timing remains uncertain. On the same day as the phone call, the U.S. Department of the Treasury issued a temporary general license allowing the sale, delivery, and importation of Russian-origin diesel fuel to the global market. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak stated that Russia will begin lifting restrictions on diesel fuel exports ahead of schedule.