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The first tanker with 40,000 tons of diesel left for New York from Russia earlier this week following President Donald Trump’s deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to release millions of tons of diesel into the global supply, Fox News has reported.
This comes as diesel has shot to more than $6 per gallon in the U.S.
“The first oil tanker has sailed off to customers, and regular supplies will continue,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.
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Following the deal earlier this month, Trump also waived most of the sanctions on Russia and those who bought fuel from the country under the Graham Act, which was backed by late Sen. Lindsey Graham.
However, retired Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Arnold Punaro told Fox News that the 40,000 tons would only supply a “couple of hours” worth of diesel.
“Look, reducing fuel prices is a very legitimate and necessary policy goal,” he told John Roberts on “America Reports.” “The president has a number of positive initiatives in that regard. However, I don’t think lifting sanctions on Russia and buying diesel fuel from Russia and fueling their war machine, which yesterday just had another massive ballistic missile attack on Kyiv, killing women and children, knocking out their energy grid, so the Ukrainians will freeze, so my hope would be they kind of change their mind, beef up the other initiatives they have, turn that tanker around and go in a different direction.”
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Punaro said that Putin’s goal is to regain the territory from the Soviet Union.
“He was never going to stop with Ukraine. That’s why we’ve got to stop him in Ukraine,” he said.
Under the Oct. 9 deal between the U.S. and the Kremlin, Putin agreed to “immediately supply over 300,000 Tons of Diesel Fuel to the American and Global Marketplace, another 500,000 Tons during the month of November, and 1,000,000 Tons immediately thereafter,” Trump said.
Trump said the agreement came after the two had a “highly successful discussion.”
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He added on Truth Social, “Additionally, based on the condition of their Diesel Refineries, Russia will then deliver, within a short period of time, 3,000,000 Tons of Diesel Fuel. Between our TOTAL CONTROL of the Strait of Hormuz, and this great announcement on Russian Energy, Diesel Prices for Americans and, indeed, the World, will be COMING DOWN, IN RECORD NUMBERS, AND FAST! Lower prices for Americans, especially our Great Farmers, Ranchers, and Truckers, is my Greatest Priority.”
The president had been under pressure from Republicans to lower diesel prices before the midterms.
The Russian diesel is the first delivered to the U.S. from the Kremlin since 2023.
