// BBC WORLD NEWS — MONDO
Trump announces deal for Russian diesel as Zelensky criticises 'gift to Putin'
US President Donald Trump says he has reached an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin allowing Moscow to "immediately release" diesel into the global market.
Trump said Putin had agreed to release 300,000 tonnes of diesel immediately, followed by 500,000 tonnes in November and another million after that.
"Diesel Prices for Americans and, indeed, the World, will be COMING DOWN, IN RECORD NUMBERS, AND FAST!" Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Putin later said Russia was willing to supply both the US and global markets with oil and petroleum products.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, meanwhile, said any easing of sanctions on Russia played into Moscow's hands and would prolong the war.
Friday's announcement is the latest effort from Trump to lower fuel prices in the US, as he has spent months grappling with the political consequences of the Iran war, which began in February, and its impact on global energy prices.
That conflict has sent the cost of petrol and, in particular diesel, skyrocketing in America in recent months, which has soured his standing with the public who have been stung by the higher pump prices and knock-on effects that led to across-the board inflation.
The average diesel price in the US is currently $6.28 (£4.74) a gallon, according to the AAA, down from the record high of $6.53 recorded at the end of September.
Shortly after Trump's announcement, the US Treasury formally issued a temporary licence allowing Russian diesel into the market.
The BBC understands the Treasury is suspending sanctions on Russian diesel exports until 7 April 2027 but other assets like those in American banks are still frozen.