US Buys Russian Diesel Despite Sanctions on Other Nations
Washington has granted itself the power to impose tariffs of up to 100% on countries purchasing Russian energy. Days after passing the legislation, President Donald Trump announced he would take Russian diesel for American consumers, creating a stark contradiction for other nations.
On October 9, Trump said Russia would supply more than 300,000 tonnes of diesel immediately, with larger shipments to follow. This deal came a week after the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 was passed on October 2, authorising the high tariffs on any country maintaining purchases of Russian oil or gas.
Global energy prices have risen sharply following the Iran war, which began in February. The American Automobile Association notes that average US diesel costs $6.28 per gallon, just shy of the record $6.53 set in late September. With midterm elections approaching, Trump argues domestic fuel prices will fall quickly.
India, which faced an extra 25% tariff in 2025 specifically for buying Russian oil, finds the US stance difficult to accept. The White House claimed these imports support Russia’s economy and its war in Ukraine. However, Washington now buys the same fuel, arguing that fuel prices at home justify the purchase.
India imports nearly 90% of its crude oil. Russia supplied 30.3% of it in fiscal 2026, accounting for $40.8 billion of a $134.7 billion import bill, according to the Global Trade Research Initiative. The country’s reliance on Moscow has grown by 7.2 percentage points between the first half of 2025 and the same period in 2026 as it diversified away from Iraq and the United States.
The war has made the trade increasingly expensive. India’s crude bill peaked at $18.7 billion in May even as import volumes dropped to 18.9 million tonnes by June. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has pointed out that the European Union traded 67.5 billion euros of goods with Russia in 2024, questioning why India is singled out for the penalty while major partners are not.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called allowing Russia to sell petroleum products “an investment in a war that must be ended, not prolonged”. He warned that the revenue would help sustain Moscow’s military campaign, a stance that clashes with the reality of global market demands.
