President Donald Trump defended his Russia policy on Oct. 18, arguing that further action could jeopardize Ukraine peace talks while blaming strikes on Russian refineries for pressure on diesel supplies.
In a Truth Social post, Trump said he did not want Russia pushed away from negotiations. He accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of prolonging the war and said Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries were hurting diesel markets, including in the United States. “I WANT THIS WAR END!” Trump wrote.
His remarks came two days after Trump waived new Russia-related measures. The White House order set aside specified duties, sanctions and restrictions under the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026. It said the waiver did not alter earlier executive order measures addressing specified harmful activities of the Russian government as they stood before the act was enacted.
Separately, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control authorized covered transactions involving Russian-origin diesel through 12:01 a.m. ET on April 7, 2027. The license does not permit debits to specified Russian state accounts at U.S. financial institutions.
In an Oct. 14 report, the International Energy Agency (IEA) identified disrupted Middle Eastern exports, reduced Russian refinery output and falling inventories as pressures on diesel supply. It cited damage from Ukrainian drone strikes among the factors reducing Russian output. The agency said Russia’s limited operating refinery capacity would constrain diesel exports even if Moscow eased its own export curbs.
The IEA said high diesel prices were raising the cost of goods and reducing real incomes. Its report preceded the White House waiver and addressed Russia’s export restrictions, rather than the later U.S. order.
Zelenskyy said Oct. 11 that Ukraine was willing to stop striking Russian energy infrastructure if Russia did the same. He also reported Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities that day. His office said he spoke with U.S. envoys Steven Witkoff and Jared Kushner on Oct. 18 and that further diplomatic steps were being prepared.
The IEA said it would continue assessing energy markets, with particular attention to diesel. Trump said Oct. 9 that Russia had agreed to provide more than 300,000 tons of diesel immediately and another 500,000 tons in November 2026.
