US President Donald Trump announced on Friday, October 9, 2026, a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin for Russia to supply more than 4 million tons of diesel to American and global markets, after the US Treasury temporarily waived sanctions on Russian diesel exports until April 2027, in a bid to cool fuel prices that are close to record highs ahead of US midterm elections.
Trump said in a Truth Social post that Russia would immediately supply more than 300,000 tons, followed by 500,000 tons in November and 1 million tons shortly afterwards. A further 3 million tons would follow within a short period, depending on the condition of Russia's refineries, bringing the total to about 4.8 million tons. The Treasury issued a general license that eases the sanctions through April 7, 2027.
Details of the diesel supply deal
The deal comes just weeks after Trump signed sweeping sanctions legislation targeting Russia's energy sector over its war in Ukraine. The Kremlin imposed its own diesel export ban in July after Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy assets, so the agreement also reopens flows that Moscow had shut. Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev welcomed the deal and said cooperation on diesel would benefit the world.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned it immediately. He warned that easing sanctions without a Russian commitment to de-escalate will only prolong the war and said Russia would repay the diesel with further terror. He called the move an obvious sign of weakness and said Ukraine had told US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff that it is ready to take symmetrical de-escalatory steps. The announcement came as Ukrainian and European diplomats arrived in Miami for talks on ending the war.
Reactions from Ukraine
Energy specialists were doubtful about the practical effect. NPR noted that few details were released on how much the volumes would move prices and the later tranches depend on Russian refinery conditions that Ukrainian strikes have disrupted. Trump has also pressed Ukraine to stop attacking Russian energy infrastructure, while Zelenskyy has refused to do so unless Moscow does the same.
Impact on Kenya's fuel prices
For Kenya, which imports refined diesel, the main question is whether easing global prices feeds through to local fuel costs. The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority is due to announce its next pump price review by October 14 and diesel affects the cost of transport and food. Cheaper global diesel does not guarantee lower pump prices, since the review also reflects cargo costs, taxes and the exchange rate.
