Fuel Exports and Ceasefires: Russian Diesel Ships Head West
Three vessels carrying 500,000 metric tonnes of fuel are bound for the United States while a pause in fighting is set for Oleshky.
By Tomas Rahman ·
Russian deputy prime minister Alexander Novak said on Friday that three tankers carrying Russian diesel are moving toward North America. The shipments are part of an arrangement announced this month by US president Donald Trump, under which Russia agreed to supply fuel to world markets to help lower prices. In return, Trump agreed to lift US sanctions on Russian fuel for a temporary period.
Novak, quoted by Russian news agencies, said Russian companies could provide 500,000 metric tonnes of fuel to US and global markets during October. He said the tankers are moving toward the Atlantic coast with significant support from the Russian Direct Investment Fund.
The Malta-flagged tanker Agioi Fanendes is loaded with ultra-low sulphur diesel, according to Reuters, and is scheduled to reach the United States on 7 November. The White House said Russia and Ukraine have agreed to halt all military operations in the Russian-occupied city of Oleshky beginning 27 October. The pause would allow aid into the city and preparations for evacuating civilians.
Oleshky has been under Russian occupation since February 2022. The White House reported a worsening humanitarian crisis in the city, where an estimated 2,000 people remain. Residents face shortages of food, water and electricity, and some are surviving on weeds, boiled grass, bread and meagre rations.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said negotiators from Ukraine, Russia and the United States agreed to technical-level meetings in the first half of November in Abu Dhabi. A US official later said the three countries might meet in a couple of weeks in Abu Dhabi or Switzerland.
Trump said on Friday that if Ukraine continues to have trouble accessing the Starlink communication system, he would address the issue. He added that he would raise the matter with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk if necessary. EU leaders met the UK's new prime minister, Andy Burnham, in Brussels and pressed for greater UK support for Ukraine's defence.
Source: The Guardian
