Putin says Russian diesel sales to US will benefit world economy

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that supplying diesel fuel to the United States and global markets would benefit the world economy, following a telephone call with US President Donald Trump during which the two leaders discussed energy cooperation and the war in Ukraine. The Kremlin stated that Putin indicated the discussion covered the global energy sector, prospects for resolving the Ukraine war, the situation on Iran, and bilateral relations.

"In discussing the state of the global energy sector, the Russian side reaffirmed its readiness to supply oil and petroleum products to the US and global markets. I am confident that this will have a positive impact on the global economy as a whole," Putin said. Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that the talks resulted in an agreement for Russia to "immediately supply" more than 300,000 tons of diesel fuel to US and global markets.

Supply volumes and timeline

According to the US president, Russia would supply another 500,000 tons in November and 1 million tons immediately thereafter, with another 3 million tons to be delivered within a short period depending on refinery conditions. Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak told the state-run Tass news agency that Russia views positively Washington's steps to stabilize global energy markets.

"Russia views positively the steps taken by the United States to stabilize the global energy market and gradually restore normal energy trade, and stands ready to coordinate future actions aimed at creating a more predictable and healthy market," Novak said. He added that Russia is ready to supply additional diesel to the US market as early as this month, with exports potentially rising to 3 million tons per month in the long term as refineries recover from repairs.

Ukraine war discussions

The Kremlin statement said the conversation devoted significant attention to prospects for resolving the ongoing war in Ukraine. Putin also said the two leaders reaffirmed an agreement to maintain personal contacts and continue cooperation between their presidential administrations, intelligence agencies, and other government bodies.