Trump's Russian Diesel Plan Stalls as US Envoys Arrive in Moscow for Peace Talks
US President Trump's plan to import Russian diesel faces major setbacks as American energy companies refuse the cargo over legal risks. Meanwhile, US envoys hold high-stakes peace talks in Moscow.
US President Donald Trump’s plan to lower fuel prices by importing Russian diesel has run into serious obstacles on the ground. Several fuel tankers heading to America were forced to change course in the open sea after struggling to find US buyers willing to offload the controversial cargo. According to an investigation by local media, US energy companies are refusing to touch Russian diesel due to fears of legal and reputational fallout. Trump had viewed the Russian imports as a quick fix for soaring diesel prices, which spiked to 6.16 dollars per gallon following the conflict in Iran, up from 3.75 dollars before hostilities began. In October, the president announced an agreement following a successful call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but in practice, not a single drop of Russian diesel has entered the United States since April 2022.
The tanker Aghia Philothei, carrying 300 thousand barrels of Russian diesel, was spotted zig-zagging off the US East Coast. According to vessel tracking data, the tanker, which originally targeted New York, is now expected to sail to South America. Three additional tankers that already left the Russian port of Primorsk turned back last week, with two heading to Brazil and one to Egypt. The reluctance among American companies intensified following the Democrats' victory in the midterm elections. George Voloshin, a senior official at ACAMS, explained that companies fear investigations by the incoming Congress. Meanwhile, critics in Congress argue that the Trump administration's exemption of diesel from sanctions is an illegal move violating 2022 legislation, and Senator Richard Blumenthal warned the ship's owners that offloading the cargo would constitute an illegal transaction.
High-Stakes Diplomacy in Moscow
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner landed in Russia for a meeting with President Vladimir Putin in an effort to advance a peace agreement to end the war in Ukraine, Bloomberg reported. Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov and other officials welcomed Witkoff and Kushner at Vnukovo Airport in Moscow. The American officials arrived from Abu Dhabi, where they held two days of peace talks with official representatives from Ukraine and Russia in what is described as the first trilateral negotiation since February. Kushner told reporters that the goal of the meeting with Putin is to achieve further progress on some of the issues discussed, as the administration identifies openings and opportunities.
Following the Moscow talks, the envoys plan to travel to Dublin to hold discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is attending the European Political Community summit. Ahead of the talks, Zelensky noted that political shifts in the United States and elsewhere create a window of opportunity to discuss peace with Russia, while urging European allies to seize the moment and choose a representative to join the peace negotiations. According to Bloomberg, Russia and Ukraine remain divided on many issues, including territory and security guarantees, though both sides are discussing significant prisoner exchanges estimated at up to 1,200 individuals.
