First Russian diesel tanker under Trump-Putin deal heads for New York, due 7 November

The first cargo

The Agioi Fanendes, a tanker flying the Maltese flag, loaded diesel at the Russian Baltic port of Primorsk on 22 October and is now heading for New York. Kpler maritime tracking data put the cargo at nearly 300,000 barrels, while the Kremlin cited 40,000 tonnes. Bloomberg reported a load of almost 43,000 metric tons of ultralow-sulfur diesel, so the published volumes do not match. Reuters, citing LSEG navigation data, expects the vessel to reach the United States on 7 November. Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said further deliveries would follow.

How the deal took shape

Trump announced the arrangement on 9 October, saying Russia would immediately supply more than 300,000 tonnes of diesel to the US and other markets. He put 500,000 tonnes on the table for November and then one million tonnes, although whether and when those later shipments arrive is still open. Moscow partly eased its own export restrictions, allowing the sale of 500,000 tonnes after having imposed curbs earlier. Washington temporarily suspended existing sanctions against Moscow as part of the arrangement, and the Treasury Department started measures to make the imports possible. The White House has also threatened to limit US diesel exports to Europe if European countries do not make their emergency reserves available. Putin announced the start of the shipment during a meeting with US special envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg, and Alexander Novak, the deputy prime minister responsible for energy, said full production volumes would return only toward the end of the year.

Why Washington backed it

Trump struck the deal ahead of the 3 November midterm elections, with Americans voicing frustration over the cost of living, according to BFMTV. He argues that Russian supplies could lower fuel prices, but critics doubt the diesel will noticeably reduce costs for American consumers. According to S&P Global, the US is the world's largest diesel exporter, and its refineries produce more diesel than the domestic market consumes. The US East Coast, including the New York region, lacks enough refining capacity to cover its own needs and relies on Gulf of Mexico refineries and foreign imports, the EIA explains. US diesel and other distillate exports reached 1.51 million barrels per day in the week of 16 October, according to the EIA.

Criticism and the Ukraine dispute

The agreement drew sharp criticism from the European Union, Ukraine, the German government and parts of the US Congress, according to dpa. Moscow sees the deal as a triumph, given Kyiv's attempts to cut off Russia's important revenue for its war machine. Critics say the sales could bring Moscow extra income that helps fund the war in Ukraine. Ukrainian drones regularly strike Russian oil refineries, which has limited production capacity and prompted Moscow to impose export bans on petrol and diesel. Trump has blamed Kyiv for rising fuel prices ahead of the November midterms, and he has accused Volodymyr Zelensky of having no interest in ending the war, calling for his replacement.