The last of three tankers that U.S. media reported were carrying Russian diesel fuel to the United States has changed course before reaching its destination. Bloomberg reported that the Agioi Fanendes (IMO: 9798375), carrying 300,000 barrels of fuel, made a sharp turn after coming within around 740 kilometers of New York.
Two other vessels carrying Russian diesel to the United States — the Talisman (IMO: 9292060) and the Leruo (IMO: 9385831) — had previously changed course. According to vessel-tracking data, no shipment of Russian diesel has reached the United States so far. Greenpeace Ukraine had said it identified at least four additional tankers involved in the deal, but those claims were not confirmed.
On Oct. 9, Trump announced an agreement with Putin that called for 4.8 million metric tons of Russian diesel to be supplied to the U.S. and global markets, and Moscow immediately lifted a ban on diesel exports that had been in effect until then, promising to ship 300,000 metric tons in October, another 500,000 tons in November, followed by larger quantities at later dates. Trump said the deal would help address rising diesel prices in the United States; however, congressional Democrats said they intended to investigate its compliance with sanctions legislation.
As the Washington Sun reported in late October, officials in the Trump administration were privately urging American companies to accept the Russian diesel then being shipped across the Atlantic. The report said businesses were refusing out of concern about potential legal liability and reputational damage.
The U.S. midterm elections, held on Nov. 3, saw the Democratic Party win majorities in both chambers of Congress. On Nov. 5, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov commented on speculation that the results might have affected companies’ calculus regarding the acceptance of Russian diesel, saying that “one should not see any connection here with the elections” and that “all the diesel will find buyers.”
