Trump Downplays Russian Diesel Deal Amid Bipartisan Backlash

US President Donald Trump has begun distancing himself from his agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin to release diesel into global markets after the plan drew sharp criticism, including from members of his own party.

President Donald Trump has defended his Russian diesel arrangement as a global supply measure amid criticism from US lawmakers.

“It’s a deal for the world ... It’s not a deal with me,” Trump told reporters, reiterating that the arrangement was not specifically a deal for the United States, Yahoo Finance reporter Ben Werschkul reported.

“They’re releasing it to the entire world,” Trump added.

He made similar comments on Monday, saying the arrangement would help US farmers but was intended to benefit the broader market.

His remarks marked a shift in emphasis from his initial announcement last week.

Trump had described his conversation with Putin as highly successful and said the agreement would benefit Americans and the rest of the world. Under the announced schedule, Russia would initially release 300,000 metric tons of diesel, equivalent to about 2.2 million barrels.

A further 500,000 tons would follow in November, with another 1 million tons expected afterward.

Those three shipments would total approximately 1.8 million tons, or 13.5 million barrels.

The Trump administration subsequently authorized US purchases of Russian diesel through next April, easing restrictions to allow the planned imports. The arrangement has drawn criticism from a bipartisan group of senators, who urged Trump to reverse course.

The letter included Republican senators Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Thom Tillis of North Carolina and John Curtis of Utah, along with three Democratic senators.

Critics argue that easing restrictions on Russian energy exports could undermine efforts to pressure Moscow over its war against Ukraine.

Some energy specialists have also questioned whether the arrangement could conflict with US law, while others doubt Russia has sufficient spare refining capacity to increase exports enough to significantly lower fuel prices.

The deal’s ultimate effect remains uncertain. The announced volumes represent planned shipments, not confirmation that all the diesel has been delivered.

Any impact on prices will depend on actual exports, market conditions and the extent to which the additional supply reaches buyers.