DOMINANT ANGLE
Moscow presents the diesel agreement as trade normalization: Novak highlights quantified volumes and the stabilization of the global market, while Meduza relays Kiev's objection.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
Novak (TASS, Interfax): 300,000 t of diesel in October, 500,000 t in November, 1 Mt in December, up to 3 Mt per month in the long term.
- 02
General License No. 135 from OFAC, signed on October 9, authorizes Russian diesel until April 7, 2027, but excludes accounts of the Central Bank and the Ministry of Finance.
- 03
Political analyst Alexei Naumov (Vedomosti) sees Trump's decision as a domestic policy calculation, with no prospect of a Ukrainian settlement.
ANALYSIS
Moscow, October 10, 2026. The Russian press is treating the diesel agreement as a matter of market and delivery schedule. Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that he had "successful discussions" with Vladimir Putin: more than 300,000 tonnes to be delivered immediately to the American and international markets, 500,000 tonnes in November, and one million "right after". Vedomosti adds that Trump mentions an additional 3 million tonnes, "depending on the state of Russian refineries".
On the Russian side, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak detailed the plan to TASS and Interfax: 300,000 tonnes as of October, 500,000 in November, one million in December, up to 3 million tonnes per month in the long term. He assures that "the Russian market will also be fully supplied" and that Moscow is lifting its export restrictions on diesel without waiting for the scheduled deadline. Meduza recalls that the ban on exporting diesel runs until the end of October, introduced after Ukrainian strikes on refineries and the summer fuel crisis.
The American aspect is described in detail by Vedomosti: the general license No. 135 of the OFAC, signed on October 9 by Bradley Smith, authorizes transactions related to Russian-origin diesel, including imports to the United States, until April 7, 2027, but not payments to the accounts of the Central Bank, the National Welfare Fund, and the Russian Ministry of Finance. The newspaper notes that such licenses "do not change the nature of the sanctions regime".
The readings diverge on the scope. According to Interfax, Novak says that Russia "evaluates positively" the American measures to stabilize the market. Presidential adviser Yuri Ushakov, when asked about possible American concessions, refers to Washington: the American side "will provide additional explanations". Political scientist Alexei Naumov, quoted by Vedomosti, believes that Trump is acting primarily for domestic policy reasons, the war with Iran having increased the price of diesel, and that there is no prospect of a Ukrainian settlement in sight. Sputnik reports that diesel reached a record high of $6.50 per gallon on September 22, compared to $6.27 today. TASS and Sputnik report that Trump then publicly thanked Putin. Meduza is the only one to relay Zelensky's statement, for whom the decision is an "investment in the war".
