Diesel Shipments: Russian Tankers Bound for US Under Sanctions Relief Deal

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Friday that three tankers carrying diesel are en route to North America under an agreement announced this month by US President Donald Trump. Novak, quoted by Russian news agencies, said Russian companies could supply 500,000 metric tonnes of fuel to US and global markets in October. He said the first three vessels were already moving toward the eastern Atlantic coast with significant support from the Russian Direct Investment Fund.

Under the arrangement, Russia agreed to supply diesel to world markets to help bring down fuel prices, and Trump agreed to temporarily lift US sanctions on Russian fuel in return. Reuters reported that one vessel, the Malta-flagged tanker Agioi Fanendes, is loaded with ultra-low sulphur diesel and is expected to reach the United States on 7 November.

The White House said on Friday that Russia and Ukraine agreed to halt all military operations in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky starting 27 October. The city, in southern Ukraine, has been under Russian occupation since February 2022. Residents report severe shortages of food, water and electricity, and an estimated 2,000 people remain in the city, with some reportedly living on weeds, boiled grass, bread and small rations. Russian and Ukrainian officials both said all sides were close to agreeing to the ceasefire.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday that negotiators from Ukraine, Russia and the US agreed to technical-level meetings in the first half of November in Abu Dhabi. A US official said later that the three countries might meet again in a couple of weeks, in Abu Dhabi or Switzerland. Zelenskyy said he hoped a meeting of the countries' leaders would follow. The diplomatic push follows a rift between Washington and Kyiv and a series of Trump moves seen as favoring Russia, including limits on the Starlink communication system Ukraine uses to defend against incoming attacks. Trump said Friday that if Ukraine still had trouble accessing the system he would straighten it out and, if necessary, raise it with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.

At a summit in Brussels, EU leaders pressed UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham to contribute more to Ukraine's defence. The UK government is due to present its first budget under Burnham's leadership next week. EU officials say Canada and Japan should also do more to support Ukraine. The IAEA said Friday that repairs to key power infrastructure near the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant were completed under a temporary ceasefire it brokered, strengthening the plant's connection to its sole remaining external power line, Ferosplavna-1.