First shipments of Russian diesel arrive in US under new energy deal

A Malta-flagged tanker, the Agioi Fanendes, is currently transporting 40,000 metric tons of low-sulfur Russian diesel to New York, with an expected arrival date of November 7. This shipment follows a high-level agreement between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, announced earlier in October, intended to stabilize fuel prices ahead of the U.S. midterm elections on November 3. To facilitate these imports, the U.S. administration has temporarily lifted specific sanctions that previously restricted Russian fuel trade.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak confirmed that this is part of a larger supply plan. Beyond the initial shipment, Russia is scheduled to provide 300,000 metric tons of diesel in October, followed by 500,000 tons in November and one million tons in December. Novak further noted that a total of three tankers are currently en route to the North American Atlantic coast. The Kremlin, through spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, confirmed that shipments will continue at a steady pace to meet supply targets, reversing Russia’s previous domestic-focused export ban.