US eases Russia fuel sanctions as 300,000 tons of diesel head to market
Why it matters: The move could send billions to Moscow during the Ukraine war even as Washington argues it may ease near-record fuel prices.
The United States temporarily eased sanctions on Russian fuel after President Donald Trump said Vladimir Putin agreed to send more than 300,000 metric tons of diesel to US and global markets immediately. Trump said another 500,000 tons would follow in November and 1 million tons after that, while the US Treasury issued a license allowing Russian diesel imports until April 7. The move reverses part of Washington’s effort to cut Moscow’s energy revenue during the war in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky denounced the agreement as a weak step, and some US lawmakers also criticized it, warning the sales could help finance Russia’s war.