Tankers change course: Trump’s diesel deal with Putin at risk of collapse

The diesel deal between US President Donald Trump and Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin is at risk of collapse: two of the three tankers carrying Russian fuel bound for the United States have changed course.

This was reported by the Financial Times.

According to the publication, the Russian tanker Talisman headed for the Mediterranean Sea and is currently off the coast of Algeria. The tanker Leruo, under the flag of Sierra Leone, has been heading for Brazil since November 2.

The third tanker, Agioi Fanendes, continues moving toward the United States, but is transmitting the signal “awaiting orders,” meaning it does not yet have a confirmed discharge port. According to the analytical company Kpler, it may also change its original route to New York.

At the same time, another sanctioned tanker, Beast, which loaded Russian fuel at the port of Primorsk on October 27, is so far maintaining its course toward the US Atlantic coast.

The FT notes that Trump’s deal with Putin on Russian diesel supplies is facing political resistance in the United States. It is opposed not only by Democrats but also by some Republicans. New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill has already warned port operators about possible sanctions for accepting Russian fuel.

According to the publication, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has resumed strikes on Russian refineries since last week. The halt of these attacks was, according to much evidence, part of the diesel deal.