Why is US turning to Russia for diesel despite sanctions?

Ukrainian president says money from fuel sales will intensify war as European leaders reiterate support for Kyiv Russia launched deadly strikes on civilians in Ukraine as “thanks” for a deal cut by Donald Trump with Vladimir Putin to buy large quantities of Russian diesel, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said, accusing Washington of helping fund Moscow’s war. The Ukrainian president has expressed repeated outrage at the agreement announced by Trump on Friday, which the US president said was needed to reduce diesel prices, and comes ahead of November midterm elections where the cost of fuel is a key voter issue. Continue reading…

Rescuers evacuate a wounded woman from under the debris of an apartment building hit by a Russian airstrike in Zaporizhzhia. Photograph: Reuters View image in fullscreen Rescuers evacuate a wounded woman from under the debris of an apartment building hit by a Russian airstrike in Zaporizhzhia. The deal, which appeared to blind side Kyiv as it was announced while Ukrainian negotiators were in Miami for peace talks, was described by Zelenskyy as a “gift” to Russia’s president.

He said Russia would use the money it raised from the fuel sales to invest in its war and that “any easing of sanctions” would play into Russia’s hands, “allowing it to kill more, wage war for longer”. That prediction was realised hours later, when Ukrainian officials announced that a barrage of Russian strikes on the country’s south-east early on Saturday had killed 15 people, including three children. View image in fullscreen Rescuers working at the site of an apartment building damaged by a Russian strike in Zaporizhzhia.

Photograph: Reuters “Today, Russia expressed its thanks for the lifting of sanctions on diesel exports by dropping five glide bombs on residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia,” Zelenskyy said on social media on Saturday. “Last night confirmed once again that in Russia, they take any easing of pressure to mean they can keep fighting, to mean they can keep dropping bombs on cities. Different signals are needed,” he said.

President Donald Trump's deal with Putin comes amid surging fuel prices and looming US midterm elections. Listen (10 mins) Save Share Why is US turning to Russia for diesel despite sanctions?

On social media Share Add on Google US President Donald Trump, right, and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in the US state of Alaska for a summit on August 15, 2025 (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP) By Christine Maguire Published On 10 Oct 2026 10 Oct 2026 United States President Donald Trump says he has agreed a deal to release stocks of diesel fuel from Russia to try to ease high fuel costs in the US before November’s midterm elections. Analysts told that the deal will likely have little effect on easing the global energy crisis while European countries could refuse to buy from Russia altogether.

Recommended Stories list of 3 items list 1 of 3 US stocks slide as oil prices fluctuate over renewed Iran war fears list 2 of 3 Putin tells Trump peace talks are unlikely, cites Ukraine drone attacks list 3 of 3 Russia kills 15 in Ukraine as US hosts ‘productive’ talks to end war end of list The agreement comes despite years of sanctions on Russia over its war on Ukraine, the latest of which were announced last month by the US and specifically targeted buyers of Russian oil. Here’s what we know: What has Trump agreed with Putin?

On Friday night, Trump announced on social media that after a “highly successful discussion” with Russian President Vladimir Putin, it had been agreed that Russia would “immediately” supply more than 300,000 tonnes of diesel fuel to the US and global marketplace. Another 500,000 tonnes would be released in November, and a further 1 million tonnes sometime after that, Trump said.

He added that, based on the current condition of its diesel refineries, Russia would then deliver another 3 million tonnes of diesel. Trump claimed that this move, along with what he described as “total control” by the US of the Strait of Hormuz, would bring down diesel prices in the US and the rest of the world.

“Lower prices for Americans, especially our Great Farmers, Ranchers, and Truckers, is my Greatest Priority,” he wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform. Trump later thanked Putin for the deal, telling reporters outside the White House on Friday: “To be honest, we have massive amounts of oil coming into our country, and it’s diesel which is what we want.”.

There were also “large-scale power outages” in the capital, Kyiv, the country’s largest private energy provider said. Map of Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine In stark contrast to Zelenskyy’s open frustration with Trump, a Kremlin readout of Friday’s call between the US president and Putin was glowing, with the Russian ⁠news agency Interfax ⁠quoting ​an aide as saying it was “very substantive and friendly”.

“Neither wanted to be the first to hang up,” the Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said of the two leaders. “They hung up simultaneously, literally at the same time.” ​ Zelenskyy has previously said Putin is playing games with Trump.

The diesel deal disrupts four years of western financial pressure on Moscow and leaves Kyiv’s allies in Europe and Nato scrambling to adapt their sanctions plan. The EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, said the diesel deal “provides Moscow with more revenues to wage war”.

“This is not the time to ease pressure on Russia, and Europe won’t,” she said on Saturday. “On Monday, EU foreign ministers intend to approve the biggest set of sanctions listings targeting Russia’s war machine since the start of the war.” She was referring to plans to formally add 1,600 new individuals and entities to the EU’s sanctions blacklist.

View image in fullscreen Kaja Kallas with Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a summit in Copenhagen last year. Photograph: Piroschka Van De Wouw/Reuters Major European governments have attempted to balance their diplomatic and trade relationships with a mercurial Trump and their support for Ukraine.

The more Putin escalates his attacks on Europe, the more Europe should support Ukraine | Timothy Garton Ash. Ulf Kristersson, the Swedish prime minister, expressed “regret” at the US agreement, saying energy revenues were “a vital source of funding Russia’s war of aggression”.

Zelenskyy said on Saturday that Russia “must feel its losses” and has promised to respond. In the Russian-occupied ‌Luhansk ‌region, Ukrainian attacks in the past 24 hours had killed four ⁠civilians and wounded ⁠five, the region’s ‌Russian-installed governor, Leonid Pasechnik, said ​on Saturday.

Zelenskyy said that Ukraine was ready to take “de-escalatory steps” in the war but only if Russia did the same. Russia’s fuel production has become a key point of contention between Zelenskyy and Trump, who has attempted to stop Ukraine from bombing Russian refineries, which he says exacerbates a global diesel shortage.