A Russian tanker carrying the first shipment of diesel to the United States will leave port on Thursday as part of an energy deal made between President Donald Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said Wednesday.
“The first tanker, as planned, will leave the port tomorrow on [Oct.] 22 for the U.S.,” Novak told reporters, adding that the vessel’s total “displacement” amounts to 40,000 metric tons. He did not specify how much diesel was aboard the ship.
Trump announced the diesel deal on Oct. 9, saying that Russia would “immediately” supply 300,000 metric tons of diesel to the U.S. and global markets, followed by another 500,000 tons in November and 1 million tons thereafter.
The following day, Russia partially lifted its diesel export ban — first introduced in the summer due to domestic shortages.
Most experts agree that the agreement will have little effect on global energy markets in the near future. The 300,000 tons scheduled to hit the U.S. market this month cover only three-quarters of the country’s daily consumption, according to calculations by The Guardian.
Novak said Wednesday that subsequent shipments “will satisfy all the U.S. requirements within our capacity.” Deliveries to other international buyers, he added, will depend on how quickly Russian refineries can restore output following Ukrainian drone strikes.
“If, according to the schedule, we can reach full volume only by the end of the year, then other countries will receive the volumes they previously received,” Novak said.
Turkey’s energy minister said this weekend that Ankara had negotiated to secure a share of the Russian diesel under the Trump agreement.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European allies have criticized the U.S.-Russian agreement, arguing that it will bolster the Russian economy and strain transatlantic relations.
By most accounts, the diesel deal is designed to boost support for Republicans going into the midterm elections in early November. Polls show that surging energy costs in the United States, largely triggered by the war in Iran, are driving voter frustration and hurting the chances of Trump allies being elected to office.
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