Trump Just Bought Diesel From Putin, and Both Parties Are Furious

WASHINGTON – With diesel near record highs and the November 3 midterms less than four weeks away, President Donald Trump announced on October 9 that he had reached a deal with Vladimir Putin for Russia to send diesel to American and global markets. Within hours, the Treasury Department issued a Russian sanctions waiver to make it legal.

The backlash came just as fast. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the move “not fair and not honest.” Republican and Democratic senators issued a joint statement against it. And energy analysts are asking whether the Trump Russia diesel deal will do much for prices at the pump.

Here is what was agreed, why it is so controversial, and what it could mean for your fuel bill.

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What Did Trump and Putin Agree To?

After a phone call with Putin, Trump said Russia would “immediately” supply 300,000 metric tons of diesel. His announcement described a staggered schedule that grows over time:

Tranche	Timing	Volume (metric tons)
1	Immediately	300,000
2	November	500,000
3	After November	1,000,000
4	Later	3,000,000
Total		~4.8 million

Source: Trump’s October 9 announcement, as reported by Latin Times and CNBC.

Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control then issued General License 135, which allows the purchase, shipping and import of Russian-origin diesel into the U.S. and global markets through April 7, 2027. Russia, in turn, said it would lift the diesel export ban it imposed on July 8.

Two caveats matter. First, no written agreement beyond Trump’s announcement has been published. Second, Trump also said Russia and Ukraine had agreed to an energy ceasefire, but Zelensky reported Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy sites that same day.

Why Is the US Buying Diesel From Russia?

The short answer: diesel prices have exploded this year, and the White House wants relief before voters head to the polls.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the national average for diesel was $3.81 a gallon in the week of February 23, just before the Iran war began. It jumped above $5 by mid-March and hit an all-time record of $6.53 on September 21. The latest reading, from October 12, is $6.18, about $2.50 higher than a year ago.

Diesel is the fuel of trucking, farming and freight, so those costs spread into food and goods prices. Time reports that farmers say diesel costs are seriously hurting their operations. The war behind the spike is the same one Trump says will end “right after the midterms”, a timeline Tehran has rejected.

Global supply is also unusually tight. Ukrainian drone strikes have repeatedly hit Russian refineries; Dallas Fed researchers estimate they knocked out as much as 60% of Russia’s refining capacity over the summer. Analysts cited by Axios say 6 to 8 million barrels per day of global fuel-processing capacity has gone offline since late spring.

The oil shock is rippling well beyond U.S. borders. India’s central bank raised rates for the first time in 3.5 years to fight war-driven inflation, and the rupee has hit historic lows against the dollar.

Does the Diesel Deal Break Russia Sanctions?

This is the core legal fight. Lawmakers from both parties argue the deal conflicts with the 2022 law that banned imports of Russian energy into the United States, which was passed after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The White House disagrees. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the deal works within existing legal authorities. But the Treasury license does not repeal the 2022 statute, a gap critics keep pointing to.

The timing adds to the awkwardness. About three weeks earlier, Trump signed a new Russia sanctions bill aimed at Moscow’s banks and energy sector. Meanwhile, the European Union has just adopted nearly 1,600 new sanctions on Russia’s military-industrial complex.

This kind of deal-first approach is not limited to Russia. Trump has also tied major security decisions to his talks with Beijing, as we reported in Taiwan fending for itself as Trump pivots toward China.

Zelensky Reaction: “A Happy Birthday Present for Putin”

Zelensky did not hold back. In a phone interview, he said the deal “looks like a happy birthday present for Putin,” whose birthday was October 7. “It looks absolutely terrible,” he added.

He said U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner never raised a diesel deal while meeting Ukrainian negotiators in Miami, and that his team got about an hour’s warning before Trump’s announcement. “What did [Trump] get? That he will have more diesel? For whom?” Zelensky asked, comparing it to the 2025 Alaska summit: “It looks like Alaska No. 2.”

Still, he left a door open. Zelensky said he would have backed easing energy sanctions if it were tied to a real winter ceasefire on energy facilities. And he stressed, “We need the Americans.”

Why Both Parties Are Furious

The opposition is unusually bipartisan. A joint statement against the deal was signed by Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, Thom Tillis and John Curtis, along with Democratic Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, Ron Wyden and Richard Blumenthal.

• Collins: “I oppose President Trump’s decision to lift sanctions on the purchase of diesel from Russia.”
• Tillis: Putin “cannot be trusted… Russia is the aggressor.”
• Murkowski: The president should use his authorities on other options “instead of allowing Russia to export diesel.”

In the House, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) plans a bipartisan bill to block purchases of Russian oil, with Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) signed on as a co-sponsor.

Not every Republican is opposed. Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) defended the president, saying he “has to make tough decisions.”

The Kremlin, unsurprisingly, welcomed it. Putin envoy Kirill Dmitriev said “Russia-US energy and economic cooperation will continue and benefit global markets.”

Republican senators breaking with the president is a pattern worth watching. It echoes the standoff we covered when Trump posted Sen. Tom Cotton’s phone number to pressure a GOP holdout, and it lands as Trump campaigns hard in red states ahead of the midterms.”

Will Diesel Prices Go Down?

Maybe a little, but probably not much, and not quickly.

Prices were already easing from their September peak before the deal was announced. The first tranche is small: Bloomberg estimates the first three tranches together come to about 13.5 million barrels. The U.S. uses roughly 4 million barrels of diesel and other distillates a day, so that is only a few days of American demand, spread over several months and shared with “global markets.”

Atlantic Council analyst Joseph Webster said the promised exports “wouldn’t address the global diesel shortage.” The EIA already expects diesel to average $5.07 a gallon in 2026 and $4.40 in 2027, well above last year’s levels.

Energy costs are also driving the affordability fight at home, from pump prices to data centers pushing up electricity bills. Markets, for their part, have mostly shrugged at Trump’s energy headlines, a pattern we explained in the TACO trade.

Bottom line: the deal may help calm markets at the edges, but the bigger drivers of diesel prices remain the Iran war, refinery damage and global supply. Whether voters feel any relief before November 3 is far from certain.

For more coverage of Trump’s energy and foreign policy moves, visit DonaldTrump.Coach.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the US buying diesel from Russia?

The Trump administration says the deal aims to lower record-high diesel prices by adding Russian supply to U.S. and global markets. Prices have surged since the Iran war began in February.

What is the Trump Russia diesel deal?

Announced October 9, 2026, it calls for Russia to export about 4.8 million metric tons of diesel in four tranches, starting with 300,000 tons immediately. Treasury issued General License 135 to permit the trade through April 7, 2027.

Does the diesel deal break Russia sanctions?

Critics in both parties say it conflicts with the 2022 law banning Russian energy imports. Treasury says it is acting within existing legal authority. The license does not repeal the 2022 law, so legal challenges or new legislation are possible.

What was Zelensky’s reaction?

Zelensky called the deal “not fair and not honest” and “a happy birthday present for Putin,” saying Ukraine was not consulted. He said he could have supported sanctions relief tied to a real energy ceasefire.

Will diesel prices go down because of the Putin diesel agreement?

Analysts expect a limited effect. The promised volumes are small compared with U.S. and global demand, and the main drivers of high prices, including the Iran war and refinery damage, have not changed.

What does this mean for Russia with USA relations?

It is the most significant easing of U.S. economic pressure on Moscow since 2022, and it comes as U.S. envoys pursue Ukraine peace talks. Both Kyiv and many members of Congress worry it rewards Russia without concessions.

References & Sources

1. Exclusive: Zelensky tells Axios Trump’s diesel deal with Putin “not fair and not honest” – Axios, Oct 9, 2026
2. Republicans Denounce Trump’s Diesel Deal With Russia’s Putin Amid Mounting Backlash – Time, Oct 12, 2026
3. Trump Waives Russia Sanctions to Flood Global Diesel Markets: What Zelensky Says Comes Next – Latin Times
4. Trump strikes deal with Putin to supply Russian diesel to U.S. and global markets – CNBC, Oct 9, 2026
5. Trump’s diesel agreement with Putin accused of contradicting Russia sanctions law – CNBC, Oct 9, 2026
6. More Republicans come out against Trump’s diesel deal with Putin – CNBC, Oct 13, 2026
7. Trump eases Russia sanctions, says Putin will release diesel amid massive price spikes – NBC News
8. Trump’s diesel deal with Putin drives a wedge through the Western alliance – CNN, Oct 11, 2026
9. U.S. No. 2 Diesel Retail Prices, weekly – U.S. Energy Information Administration
10. EIA sharply raises 2026-2027 diesel price forecast – Argus Media