Trump Lifts Russian Diesel Sanctions Amid Ukraine Leadership Dispute

President Donald Trump reached an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 9, 2026, to import millions of tons of Russian diesel into the U.S. and global markets. To facilitate the deal, the U.S. Treasury Department issued General License 135, temporarily waiving sanctions until April 7, 2027. The arrangement provides an immediate 300,000 tons of fuel, with subsequent tranches of 500,000 and 1 million tons, and a potential final 3 million tons depending on refinery capacity. Trump framed the move as a priority to lower record-high fuel prices for American farmers and truckers ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, citing supply crunches caused by a U.S. war with Iran and Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries.

The decision triggered a severe diplomatic crisis. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the deal as a "gift to Putin" that finances the Russian war effort. Tensions escalated when Trump publicly called for Zelenskyy to be replaced by a leader capable of negotiating peace, accusing him of obstructing a settlement. In response, Trump threatened to suspend intelligence sharing and weapons procurement—including the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) mechanism—if Kyiv did not halt refinery strikes. While Trump later announced an "energy ceasefire" between Russia and Ukraine, Zelenskyy reported that Moscow immediately violated the truce by bombing power plants in Kyiv and Kharkiv.

Domestically, a bipartisan group of 12 U.S. senators urged Trump to rescind the deal, arguing it violates a 2022 federal ban on Russian energy imports. European allies, including Germany and the United Kingdom, reaffirmed their commitment to sanctions, with the EU adopting its largest-ever sanctions package against Russia on October 12 to counter the U.S. policy shift.