Across the North Atlantic and the Baltic, a cargo of Russian diesel that was meant to cross to American shores now seems to be wavering, its ships turning toward Brazil, the Mediterranean, or simply 'orders' yet to come. The move follows an uneasy bargain between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, struck in a season when American fuel prices had climbed, and it sits awkwardly against sanctions that still stand. As tracking data and competing denials trade places in the public eye, the deeper question is less about any single tanker than about who holds the authority to decide what a nation may b
Sanctioned Russian Diesel Tankers Bound for US Reportedly Change Course Amid Legal Pushback
Across the North Atlantic and the Baltic, a cargo of Russian diesel that was meant to cross to American shores now seems to be wavering, its ships turning toward Brazil, the Mediterranean, or simply 'orders' yet to come. The move follows an uneasy bargain between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, struck in a season when American fuel prices had climbed, and it sits awkwardly against sanctions that still stand. As tracking data and competing denials trade places in the public eye, the deeper question is less about any single tanker than about who holds the authority to decide what a nation may buy from a country it has otherwise shut out.
Tracking data from Kpler and MarineTraffic now suggests that at least two tankers carrying Russian diesel toward the United States have turned away. The ships left the Baltic port of Primorsk last month with the US east coast declared as their destination. One has since veered toward Brazil, another into the Mediterranean.
The voyages grew out of a deal Donald Trump struck with Vladimir Putin, easing sanctions on Russian oil so that diesel could flow to America while pump prices were soaring. The arrangement drew sharp criticism in Ukraine and Europe, and it was a logistical puzzle, since wider sanctions remain in place. The volume was only a fraction of daily US demand.
Kirill Dmitriev rejected reports of the diversions as 'Fake,' saying the ships were still on course. Dmitry Peskov said the shipments were commercial matters and added, without elaborating, that 'all diesel will find its buyers.' A third vessel still heads across the North Atlantic toward the US, but its destination now reads only 'for orders.'
The resistance is coming from American officials too. Although the Treasury temporarily authorized the transactions, New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill has warned terminal operators that trade in Russian fuel will meet harsh penalties, and Senator Richard Blumenthal has told shipping companies that a presidential license cannot absolve them. What is clear is narrow: the data, the denials, and the warnings. Whether the diversions are permanent, and whether any cargo reaches an American port, remains to be seen.
Tracking data now suggests that at least two tankers carrying Russian diesel toward the United States have turned away. The vessels left the Baltic Sea port of Primorsk last month and had declared the US east coast as their destination. According to figures from the marine data company Kpler and the vessel-tracking site MarineTraffic.com, one has since veered toward Brazil and another into the Mediterranean.
The voyages trace back to a deal Donald Trump struck with Vladimir Putin last month. Trump eased sanctions on Russian oil so that a large quantity of diesel could be shipped directly to the US, at a moment when diesel prices have soared across the country. The arrangement shocked and drew criticism in Ukraine and Europe. It was also a logistical puzzle, because the wider sanctions against Russia remain in place. Reporting at the time noted that the volume involved amounted to only a fraction of daily US demand.
The Financial Times reported on Wednesday that two of the tankers appeared to have changed destination and were no longer heading for the United States. On Thursday, Kirill Dmitriev, the Russian envoy and negotiator, rejected that account. Writing on X and linking to the FT story, he called it "Fake" and said the tankers bound for the US were continuing on course.
Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, took a different tack. He said the details of the shipments were a commercial matter and could not be made public. "All diesel will find its buyers," he added, without elaborating.
A third vessel is still in the North Atlantic and still pointed toward the US, but its declared destination has changed from New York to the vague entry "for orders," with no unloading point listed.
The legal resistance is coming from American officials as well. Although the US Treasury Department temporarily authorized transactions in Russian diesel, New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill has warned port and terminal operators to turn such ships away. In a letter earlier this week, she wrote that "any effort to profit from the illegal trade in Russian fuel will be met with harsh penalties." She argued that the Trump administration lacks the authority to override an import ban Congress enacted more than four years ago, and said New Jersey would act to keep state facilities and companies from handling Russian fuel.
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal made a similar case in a letter dated October 27, addressed to shipping companies. He warned them against violating US sanctions that forbid imports of Russian fuel. "No president can unilaterally override a statute," the letter read. "Trump's license will not absolve you of legal and moral accountability."
What is established is narrow: the tracking data, the competing statements, and the warnings from Sherrill and Blumenthal. Whether the diversions are permanent, and whether any cargo ever reaches an American port, is not yet clear. The next tests are whether New Jersey enforces penalties on port operators and whether shipping firms heed the legal warnings.
Vuoi la storia completa?
Leggi l'originale su Deutsche Welle ↗
Politics & Governance