By Bloomberg News
Oct 21, 2026 (Bloomberg) –A tanker loaded with Russian diesel will sail for the US on Thursday as Moscow starts to implement a fuel supply deal struck by Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, according to Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak.
“The first tanker, as planned, will leave the port tomorrow,” Novak told reporters on Wednesday, according to Tass. “More batches will follow.”
Novak didn’t identify the Russian port, the supplier or the tanker, but said the vessel has a capacity of 40,000 metric tons, according to Tass. That’s equivalent to about 300,000 barrels.
In a phone call with Trump earlier this month, Putin agreed to relax diesel-export restrictions and send more fuel to the global market, including the US. The Russian government pledged to ship 500,000 tons of diesel in a first phase, but provided no exact timeframe.
Trump is keen to lower diesel prices that are trading north of $200 a barrel just weeks before the Nov. 3 midterm elections. But the pressure extends far beyond the US, spurring fears that energy inflation will force central bankers across the world to raise interest rates.
Analysts have said Trump’s deal with Putin is too limited to move prices meaningfully ahead of the US vote. The agreement has also faced opposition among US and European lawmakers, who warn it’ll bolster the Kremlin’s coffers for its war in Ukraine.
Read More: Trump Faces Widening GOP Anger Over Russia Sanctions Waiver
Novak said earlier this month that Russia aims to raise diesel exports gradually in November and December, with global deliveries reaching as much as 3.5 million tons a month by the end of the year.
Trump has argued the deal with Putin could pave the way for a peace agreement with Ukraine because it will keep talks going. But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told Bloomberg the US leader was trying to pressure Kyiv into surrendering to Moscow.
Read More: Zelenskyy Says Trump Is Pushing Ukraine, Not Putin, to Yield
Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in St. Petersburg Wednesday to meet with Putin. Zelenskyy met Witkoff in Oslo on Tuesday.
© 2026 Bloomberg L.P.
Subscribe for Daily Maritime Insights
Sign up for gCaptain’s newsletter and never miss an update