Lavrov Says US Diesel Deal Is Working and Lowering Global Prices

Russian & US – (Special Correspondent/Web Desk) – Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says the US diesel deal is already in action and helping to bring prices down. He shared the view in a piece published on Tuesday in the Moscow daily Kommersant.

Lavrov said Russia is different from the West. In his words, Moscow does not use its economy to score political points against rivals or competitors.

He also pointed to Russia’s long energy record with Europe. Since 2022, he wrote, Russia has supplied Europe with energy worth $320 billion.

Lavrov called the agreement between the Russian and US leaders an important step for energy security. It suspends limits on Russian diesel exports. He said Russia has already begun the work, and prices fell right away.

US President Donald Trump announced the surprise deal on October 9. Russia agreed to send 300,000 metric tons of diesel to the US and global markets at once. Another 500,000 tons would follow in November, and then 1 million tons soon after. The aim was to cut fuel costs before the US midterm elections.

As part of the plan, the Trump administration temporarily lifted US sanctions on Russian fuel. Those sanctions were built to cut Moscow’s income for its war on Ukraine.

Lavrov gave no price data. US futures prices have dropped about 11 percent since the announcement. Even so, pump prices hit a record high last week, when Americans voted, according to GasBuddy.

Lavrov also said Ukraine is ignoring Trump’s calls to stop hitting Russian energy sites. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said last week that Kyiv would keep up its strikes.

Russian media report that fuel shortages have returned to at least six regions. This follows Ukrainian attacks on at least eight major oil refineries over the past two weeks.