Trump's diesel deal with Putin at risk
Two of the three tankers that were supposed to deliver Russian fuel to the US have changed their routes. According to the Financial Times, this has created a risk of failure for the diesel import agreement between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.
Diesel deal between Trump and Putin at risk
Two of the three tankers carrying Russian fuel to the US as part of the diesel import agreement between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have changed course, it was reported.
Two of three oil tankers bound for the US with Russian fuel have changed course, jeopardizing an earlier agreement between White House leader Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin to purchase and import Russian diesel fuel. The Financial Times reported this on Wednesday, November 4.
According to the FT, the Russian tanker Talisman and the Leruo tanker, owned by a Hong Kong company and sailing under the flag of Sierra Leone, no longer list the US Atlantic coast as their destination. As of November 2, the Leruo set a course toward Brazil. Meanwhile, the Talisman entered the Mediterranean Sea and is currently off the coast of Algeria, transmitting the signal "for orders" — waiting for instructions. This means the cargo currently has no confirmed buyer or delivery port. The Financial Times noted that both tankers are under European Union sanctions.
A third tanker, the Agioi Fanendes, owned by the Greek shipping company Eastern Mediterranean Maritime, continues to move toward the US, but it is also transmitting a "for orders" signal.
"The tanker is scheduled to arrive in New York late this week. However, given that American buyers are exercising clear caution due to regulatory requirements, legislative, and sanction risks, it would not be surprising if this tanker also abandoned entering US ports and changed its course," the FT quotes Kpler analyst Matt Smith as saying.
At the same time, the sanctioned Beast tanker, owned by companies in the Seychelles, loaded cargo at the Russian port of Primorsk on October 27 and continues to move toward the US Atlantic coast, the FT writes.
Since the start of the war in Iran, diesel fuel futures prices have risen by more than 60 percent. In early November 2026, the average price of diesel at US gas stations reached nearly $6.30 per gallon, or $1.66 per liter.