Russia-US diesel deal contributes to energy security: Lavrov

Russia-US diesel agreement

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Tuesday that a recent agreement between Moscow and Washington to ease restrictions on Russian diesel exports has bolstered global energy security, writing in Russian daily Kommersant: "An important contribution to energy security was the agreement reached between the leaders of Russia and the United States to suspend restrictions on the export of Russian diesel fuel." He noted that implementation had already begun and triggered an immediate decline in prices, pledging that Moscow would continue working to stabilize global markets.

Last month, US President Donald Trump announced the deal following a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, stating that Moscow agreed to immediately supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel to American and global markets. Trump said Russia would deliver another 500,000 tons in November, followed by 1 million tons immediately thereafter, with an additional 3 million tons to be supplied within a short period depending on refinery conditions.

Western restrictions and Ukrainian criticism

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized the arrangement, warning that easing restrictions on Russian diesel exports could help finance Moscow's war effort. Lavrov argued that Moscow does not use economic ties to settle geopolitical scores or undermine competitors, noting that Russia has supplied Europe with $320 billion worth of energy resources despite Western sanctions and the seizure of foreign-owned tankers.

Global market stability

Lavrov described the closure of the Strait of Hormuz as another major destabilizing factor affecting the energy sector. "The claims by NATO, the EU, and their member states to dictate terms in various maritime areas are entirely unacceptable," he said. He also turned to food security issues, stating that sanctions and trade barriers have contributed to hunger affecting more than 600 million people worldwide, and accused Western countries of resisting the emergence of a multipolar world order while attempting to deny growing centers in the Global South their rightful role in global governance.