According to Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, a tanker carrying Russian diesel fuel will set off for the United States on Thursday (October 22), marking Moscow's initiation of implementing the fuel supply agreement reached between Russian President Putin and U.S. President Trump.
According to Tass, Novak said on the 21st, "As planned, the first oil tanker will leave port tomorrow. There will be more batches of diesel transported out in the future."
Novak did not disclose the Russian port from which the oil tanker departed, nor the supplier or the name of the oil tanker. However, he stated that the oil tanker had a capacity of 40,000 tons, which is approximately 300,000 barrels.
On October 9th, Putin agreed in a call with Trump to relax restrictions on diesel exports, providing more fuel to markets around the world, including the United States.
At that time, Trump posted on "Real Soccer" saying, "Both parties agreed that Russia will immediately supply over 300,000 tons of diesel to the United States and global markets. Additionally, another 500,000 tons will be supplied in November, followed by another 1 million tons immediately thereafter. Furthermore, based on the conditions of Russian refineries, Russia will also supply 3 million tons of diesel in the near future."
With only a few weeks left until the midterm elections in Congress on November 3rd, Trump is eager to lower the price of diesel, which currently exceeds $200 per barrel.
However, analysts point out that the agreement reached between Trump and Putin is too limited in scope to have a significant impact on diesel prices before the U.S. elections.
The agreement reached between the United States and Russia has met with opposition from some American and European lawmakers. They warn that the agreement would increase the financial resources of the Kremlin, providing funding for Russia's military operations in Ukraine.
Trump argued that the diesel supply agreement reached with Putin could help promote the peace process between Russia and Ukraine, as it would allow the US and Russia to continue their dialogue.
As this batch of Russian diesel is about to set off, Trump's envoy Steve Wittkevort held talks with Putin in St. Petersburg on the 21st. During the talks, Putin expressed gratitude for Trump's efforts to resolve the conflict and stated that Russia was willing to resume economic relations with the United States. Wittkevort, on behalf of Trump, thanked Russia for agreeing to supply diesel to the United States.
