Seven tankers carrying Russian diesel head for US, but unloading is uncertain
Greenpeace tracked the ships carrying an estimated 288,000 tonnes of diesel under a Trump-Putin deal, as lawmakers and a governor threaten to block delivery.
Seven oil tankers carrying an estimated 288,000 tonnes of Russian diesel are sailing towards the United States, according to The Guardian. The paper reported that it is unclear whether the ships will be able to unload because of a political dispute over whether the shipments are legal.
The tankers were tracked by the pressure group Greenpeace. They are the first phase of a supply deal that presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin negotiated earlier this month, The Guardian reported. Earlier reports had counted three tankers leaving Russian oil terminals in the Baltic Sea. Greenpeace used several sources, including shipping tracking websites, and believes its count is the most complete so far.
One tanker, Taurus, is relatively close to the US. When Greenpeace's map was first published, five of the others were close to the UK, and three were sailing through or into the English Channel, according to The Guardian.
Under the deal announced on 9 October, Putin agreed to supply the US with 1.8m tonnes of diesel, starting with 300,000 tonnes immediately. Trump announced a six-month waiver on existing sanctions so the shipments could go ahead. The Guardian said this reverses years of sanctions on Russian oil imposed after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The deal matters because it has drawn strong opposition. Earlier this week, a group of US lawmakers, led by a handful of Democratic senators, warned banks and port authorities that they could face congressional investigations and other legal action if they handled the diesel. New Jersey's Democratic governor, Mikie Sherrill, said she was looking at ways to stop the fuel being unloaded in her state and called the deal "corrupt and illegal".
Shaun Burnie, an energy specialist with Greenpeace Ukraine, said Congress or local authorities should halt the shipments now that the tankers can be located.
“Instead of rewarding Russia for its vile war against Ukraine, there needs to be more punitive sanctions against Russia. These shipments can be stopped”Shaun Burnie, Greenpeace Ukraine
Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has denounced the agreement, saying the money would help the Kremlin fund the war. He said "backroom deals" gave Putin more chances on the battlefield.
Trump argued the deal would lower diesel prices. According to The Guardian, citing the American Automobile Association, the price per gallon has instead risen from $6.28 when the deal was announced to $6.33.
Much is still unknown. It is not clear where the tankers will try to unload, or whether they can. The Guardian said there have been reports that the White House is encouraging US firms to take the oil, but it is unclear whether buyers will come forward given the legal risks ahead of next Tuesday's midterm elections. Information is also limited because a Russian presidential decree from late September restricted publication of details about oil exports.
