Trump’s diesel deal with Putin draws calls for EU resolve

A German environmental and human rights group has urged European leaders not to weaken sanctions on Russian energy after President Donald Trump announced a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin for Russia to supply diesel fuel to the United States and global markets, a week before a new U.S. sanctions law on Russia reaches its first implementation deadline.

Urgewald said Europe should keep its restrictions on Russian liquefied natural gas, or LNG, and on the shipping, insurance and professional services that support Russia’s energy exports, regardless of the shift in Washington.

“Trump’s deal with Putin is an affront to the civilised world. While Russia continues its assault on Ukraine, he is handing Moscow a fresh energy lifeline. With just over a week until the Lindsey Graham Act’s implementation deadline, this deal undermines the pressure Congress intended to impose,” said Alexander Kirk, sanctions campaigner at Urgewald.

“This is Europe’s Churchill moment. European leaders must stand firm against aggression. Washington’s retreat must not become an excuse to weaken European sanctions or reopen the door to Russian energy. There must be no watering down of restrictions on Russian LNG or the shipping, insurance and professional services that keep this trade moving,” said Kirk.

Trump announced the deal on Oct. 9 after a phone call with Putin. In a post on Truth Social, he said Russia would immediately supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel, another 500,000 tons in November and 1 million tons after that. He later said Russia could deliver about 3 million more tons depending on the condition of its refineries. The Kremlin said the call, which lasted about an hour and a half, covered large-scale economic initiatives including fuel supplies.

The same day, the U.S. Treasury Department issued a general license that temporarily waives sanctions on Russian diesel through April 2027. The White House has presented the move as a way to bring down fuel prices, which have surged worldwide since the start of the war with Iran and as Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries forced Moscow to restrict diesel exports. Trump publicly thanked Putin for the agreement. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned it, and some energy analysts said the deal helps Russia sell off summer-grade diesel it no longer needs before winter.

The timing has drawn attention because of the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, which Trump signed on Sept. 18 after it passed the Senate 86-11 and the House 262-159. The law requires the president to impose many of its measures by Oct. 18, including sanctions on Russian state-linked companies and banks, action against “shadow fleet” tankers carrying Russian oil, and tariffs of up to 100% on goods from the largest buyers of Russian crude and gas. It also allows the president to waive measures by certifying to Congress that a waiver is in the national interest.

The White House has not said whether the diesel deal will affect how it implements the Graham Act, and neither Washington nor Moscow has released the terms of the fuel agreement, including pricing or which buyers will receive the diesel. European Union officials have not publicly said whether the U.S. move will change their own sanctions timeline on Russian energy.