Two sanctioned Russian diesel tankers divert from US-bound routes

Senators and New Jersey’s governor warn of penalties as Treasury defends exemption

President Donald Trump’s plan to allow imports of Russian diesel appeared to falter this week: two sanctioned tankers that had declared U.S. East Coast destinations changed course, one heading toward Brazil and the other into the Mediterranean, according to marine data company Kpler and vessel traffic site MarineTraffic.com. State and federal officials warned that handling any shipments could bring legal consequences, and the deal Trump announced with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Oct. 9 has yet to produce a confirmed U.S. delivery.

Trump announced the agreement on Oct. 9 to make more than 300,000 metric tons of Russia’s diesel available immediately to U.S. and global markets, with larger shipments to follow. The United States banned Russian energy imports after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and the deal angered some lawmakers and foreign allies. Analysts have said the imports were unlikely to do much to lower U.S. diesel prices, which have reached record highs during the U.S. war with Iran.

The two vessels, the Russian tanker Talisman and the Sierra Leone-flagged Leruo, departed the Baltic Sea port of Primorsk last month with the U.S. East Coast declared as their destination. As of Thursday, both had changed course, according to Kpler and MarineTraffic.com. The Financial Times first reported the diverted routes.

A third vessel remained in the North Atlantic on a heading toward the United States but changed its destination from New York to “for orders,” a designation that leaves the unloading point open. Kpler analyst Matt Smith said it was not clear whether the Russian diesel shipments had U.S. buyers and that the third tanker also might change course.

“Because of regulatory, sanctions concerns, we may not see this cargo discharge on the U.S. Atlantic coast,” Smith said. “It’s clear there’s hesitancy here in bringing these barrels onshore just because of the implications of doing so.”

Neither the White House nor the Kremlin has disclosed whether the agreement was put in writing, and neither side has revealed the price, payment terms or participating companies.

The dispute centers on a sanctions exemption the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control issued for the sale, delivery, unloading and importing of Russian diesel until April 7. New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill advised port and terminal operators in her state to turn away ships carrying the fuel, warning in a letter dated Monday that “any effort to profit from the illegal trade in Russian fuel will be met with harsh penalties.”

Sherrill argued that the Trump administration lacked authority to override the import ban enacted by Congress more than four years ago and said New Jersey would use its legal and regulatory powers to prevent state facilities and companies from handling Russian fuel.

A bipartisan group of senators has urged Trump to negate the deal, saying the U.S. “should not provide Putin with a financial lifeline.” Lawmakers have also warned major banks, port authorities and fuel distributors that facilitating the imports could expose companies to civil or criminal liability and future congressional investigations.

The administration maintains that its authorization was lawful, and no court has ruled on the dispute. In response to a request for comment Thursday, the Treasury Department issued a statement saying the exemption was consistent with previous actions and “in compliance with all applicable laws.”

A Trump administration official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity said the en route Russian diesel shipments would reduce price pressures for Americans. The official said increasing shipments was in keeping with the Putin-Trump agreement but did not specify whether any Russian fuel would reach the U.S. directly.

Expensive diesel can have wide-ranging economic effects, including on consumer prices, because the trucking industry and many farmers use the fuel to produce and transport goods. Trump has tried blaming Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for this year’s diesel spikes and has pressed Ukraine to halt drone attacks that damaged Russian refineries and curbed production of the fuel.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said details about commercial shipments were not available but that “all the diesel will find its buyers.” Putin’s special envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, dismissed the Financial Times report, posting on X: “Fake. Tankers destined for the US continue on course.”