Kremlin Expects US Diesel Contracts, Says Dmitriev
- Moscow expects to sign commercial contracts in the coming days to export Russian diesel directly to the United States and global markets, according to Kremlin officials.
- The diplomatic opening follows an unexpected announcement on Friday by US President Donald Trump permitting Russian diesel exports.
- Alexander Novak, Russia’s deputy prime minister for energy, confirmed that discussions are active at both the ministerial and corporate tiers.
Moscow expects to sign commercial contracts in the coming days to export Russian diesel directly to the United States and global markets, according to Kremlin officials. Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund and the Kremlin’s main negotiator with the US, stated that talks are advancing rapidly through hourly communications with American counterparts, the Kyiv Post reported.
Trump Announces Surprise Sanctions Relief
The diplomatic opening follows an unexpected announcement on Friday by US President Donald Trump permitting Russian diesel exports. Trump subsequently demanded that Kyiv halt its strikes against Russian energy infrastructure, calling for an immediate energy truce to shield Russian refineries while leaving Ukraine’s power grid unprotected.
⚡️ BREAKING: Kremlin Announces New Deals with the USKremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev said the agreement on Russian diesel supplies paves the way for new joint projects.Dmitriev revealed that Moscow is already discussing other areas of economic cooperation with Washington on… pic.twitter.com/UWikRmsXuJ
Alexander Novak, Russia’s deputy prime minister for energy, confirmed that discussions are active at both the ministerial and corporate tiers. Novak stated that cumulative shipments under the arrangement could reach 3.5 million tons by the end of 2026. According to BBC figures cited in reporting, that total volume represents approximately half of total daily US consumption, even as sanctions relief remains authorized through April 2027.
Lawmakers and Kyiv Push Back Against the Agreement
The diesel pact has drawn sharp opposition from European capitals and the Ukrainian government. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky argued that Kyiv, rather than Moscow, holds the authority to determine whether refined fuel leaves Russian ports, especially after Ukrainian military operations degraded more than 40 percent of Russia’s refining capacity.
Domestic resistance also mounted in Washington on Tuesday, when a bipartisan coalition of 12 US senators signed a joint letter urging the White House to rescind the agreement. The lawmakers characterized the deal as a gift to Moscow and a betrayal of Ukraine.
Contract Finalization and Future Supply Volumes
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov maintained that Russia has fully adhered to terms regarding energy operations, asserting that Moscow did not violate any truce because binding parameters were never formally established. Meanwhile, Russian forces have continued heavy bombardments targeting Ukraine’s communications and power grids as Zelensky presses Western allies for accelerated deliveries of Patriot interceptor systems and harsher financial penalties against Moscow.
It will all happen in the next few days… We are in very close, hourly contact with the American side, and everything is moving very quickly.
Kirill Dmitriev, Russian Direct Investment Fund