Russia has yet to see significant benefits from President Donald Trump’s dispute with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, despite a U.S. diesel license and a separate sanctions waiver, Reuters reported.
On Oct. 9, the U.S. Treasury issued a general license for specified transactions involving Russian diesel, including imports. It runs through April 7, 2027. Trump followed on Oct. 16 by waiving sanctions and tariffs under the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026. Separate existing U.S. sanctions remain in place.
The diesel measure may have a limited effect on Russia’s budget, Reuters reported. Initial export volumes are relatively small, and Russia taxes fuel production rather than exports.
After Zelenskiy criticized Trump, the U.S. president said it was time for Ukraine to “get a new president.” Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, mocked Zelenskiy on Telegram. Kirill Dmitriev, who handles economic deals with Washington for Russian President Vladimir Putin, wrote on X that Zelenskiy’s criticism of Trump would have consequences.
Sergei Mironov, who leads the pro-Kremlin Just Russia party in parliament, said Trump’s stance appeared aimed at U.S. voters ahead of November’s congressional elections, Reuters reported. Mironov cited Trump’s interest in lower fuel prices for those voters and said the dispute offered Russia little.
Ukraine has complained of missing recent U.S. warnings about Russian missile strikes and limits affecting Starshield communications used by its forces, Reuters reported. The Kremlin has said U.S. mediation on Ukraine remains active.
Reuters reported that hopes in Moscow for a peace deal on Russian terms after Trump hosted Putin in Alaska last year have faded. Mironov pointed to November’s U.S. congressional elections as a factor in Trump’s position. The diesel license expires April 7, 2027.
