WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump said the United States will begin importing significant amounts of diesel fuel from Russia after an agreement reached with President Vladimir Putin, an extraordinary reversal of U.S. policy in a bid to lower fuel prices before the midterms.
The move, announced less than one month before the Nov. 3 midterm election, comes as high fuel prices caused by the war in Iran pose major liabilities for Trump and Republicans as they try to hold onto power in Congress. The agreement upends years of U.S. efforts to cut off Russian energy from the global markets after Putin's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Trump said Russia will supply the U.S. and global marketplaces with 300,000 tons of diesel fuel "immediately" and an additional
1 million tons in November. He said Russia will then deliver 3 million tons of diesel fuel "within a short period of time," though he suggested it will be based on the condition of Russian diesel refineries.
"Lower prices for Americans, especially our Great Farmers, Ranchers, and Truckers, is my Greatest Priority. This is a very big and important announcement," Trump said in an Oct. 9 post on Truth Social after what he described as a "highly successful discussion" with Putin.
The Treasury Department said it is lifting Russian oil sanctions through April 7, 2027, according to a notice posted by the administration.
“In discussing the state of the global energy sector, the Russian side reaffirmed its readiness to supply oil and petroleum products to U.S. and global markets,” the Kremlin said on Oct. 9. Putin told Trump that he was “confident that this will have a positive impact on the global economy as a whole,” according to the Kremlin’s readout of the call.
The stunning announcement comes just weeks after Trump signed a major Russia sanctions package that was meant to suffocate the Russian economy that is financing the country's war against Ukraine.
The average price for a gallon of diesel fuel has shot up to $6.23 nationally amid the U.S. war with Iran, presenting major challenges to farmers in the Midwest and states such as Alaska, which rely heavily on diesel for electricity and heating in remote areas. Deep red Alaska, as well as Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska, have become surprising battlegrounds in the midterms.
Since returning to the White House for a second term, Trump has pinned equal blame on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Putin for the Russian-Ukraine war. He's met in person with both leaders and communicates with them regularly, but has failed to reach a deal to end the nearly five-year war.
In recent weeks, Trump has complained to Zelenskyy about Ukrainian strikes against Russian energy infrastructure.
The Biden administration banned Russian oil imports after Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The Trump administration temporarily eased those sanctions earlier this year after energy prices skyrocketed after the start of the U.S. war against Iran.
The agreement could face strong opposition from allies in Europe, where countries have maintained sanctions on Russian oil imports despite enduring significantly higher fuel prices.
A spokesperson for the European Commission did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The average price of a gallon of diesel in the European Union was $9.12, according to data from the commission.
Contributing: Miles Herszenhorn, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump says US to import Russian diesel, reversing pressure on Moscow
