Six oil tankers carrying an estimated 268,000 tonnes of Russian diesel are sailing towards the United States, though uncertainty surrounds whether they will be able to unload amid legal and political challenges to the shipments. The pressure group Greenpeace is tracking the vessels, which it said represent the first phase of a supply deal negotiated between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on 9 October. Trump granted a six-month waiver on existing sanctions to allow the shipments to proceed, reversing years of penalties imposed on Russian oil following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Under the agreement, Putin committed to supplying 1.8 million tonnes of diesel to the United States, with 300,000 tonnes scheduled to begin immediately. One tanker, Taurus, is relatively close to the US coast, whilst five others were positioned close to the UK and three were sailing through or into the English Channel at the time tracking maps were first published. Greenpeace's energy specialist for Ukraine, Shaun Burnie, argued that with the tankers' locations now visible, Congress or local US authorities should halt the shipments. He stated there should be more punitive sanctions against Russia rather than rewarding it, adding that the shipments can be stopped.
The Trump administration's deal has sparked fierce political opposition. A group of US lawmakers, led by Democratic senators, warned banks and port authorities of potential congressional investigations and legal action if they handled the Russian diesel. Mikie Sherrill, the Democratic governor of New Jersey, said she was examining how to prevent unloading in her state, describing the arrangement as corrupt and illegal. The White House has reportedly encouraged US firms to accept the oil, though buyers appear reluctant given the legal risks so close to elections.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the agreement, saying the money raised would help fund Russia's continued war against Ukraine and that backroom deals gave Putin more chances on the battlefield. In Ukraine on Thursday morning, 14 people were reported killed when a Russian drone struck a crowded train platform in the central city of Dnipro, with five others killed in daytime strikes in Chernihiv and Kremenchuk. Ukraine's state railway company said a high-speed jet-powered drone had hit as a commuter train was preparing to depart Dnipro's main station.
The diesel price outcome contradicts Trump's stated aim for the deal. When the agreement was announced on 9 October, diesel cost $6.28 per gallon according to the American Automobile Association, rising to $6.33 by the time the tankers sailed, despite the president's argument that the Russian supply would help lower prices. Trump's popularity has declined as fuel prices have soared since he attacked Iran in the spring, with midterm elections scheduled for next Tuesday.
For British savers, borrowers and investors, the uncertainty over whether these diesel shipments will reach US markets adds to broader energy market volatility that has already affected pension values and investment returns.