Oct 12, 2026 · 8 min · 8 segments
Three weeks after signing the law that locked Russia's sanctions into place, the President let Putin sell diesel to America anyway. No forty-five days of notice. No written certification. No vote in…
Okay, Jim, walk me through the timeline first, because the speed of this thing is what makes it so shocking.
Friday afternoon.
Within hours, the Treasury Department cleared the way for Russian diesel to flow into world markets, including the United States, until April 7, 2027.
That is six months, the longest diesel break Russia has gotten since it invaded Ukraine in February of 2022.
And how much diesel are we talking about?
300,000 tons right away, 500,000 more in November, 1 million after that, and 3 million more depending on the shape of Russia's damaged refineries.
That adds up to 4.8 million tons of fuel from a country still waging war on its neighbor.
But wait, can Russia even deliver that much? I thought their refineries were in bad shape.
That is the thing.
Experts doubt the numbers.
Former American officials say nobody knows whether Putin even has that much diesel to sell.
And here's the backstory that makes this even wilder.
Desperate.
On September 25th, the Kremlin spokesman told the world that Russian diesel would hit global markets again only after countries dropped their sanctions.
Fourteen days later, Washington gave him exactly what he asked for.
Let me make sure I am hearing the stakes correctly.
Every gallon.
And that is the same money buying the missiles and drones raining down on Ukrainian apartment buildings.
Okay, Jim, walk me through the timeline first, because the speed of this thing is what makes it so shocking.
Friday afternoon.
Within hours, the Treasury Department cleared the way for Russian diesel to flow into world markets, including the United States, until April 7, 2027.
That is six months, the longest diesel break Russia has gotten since it invaded Ukraine in February of 2022.
And how much diesel are we talking about?
300,000 tons right away, 500,000 more in November, 1 million after that, and 3 million more depending on the shape of Russia's damaged refineries.
That adds up to 4.8 million tons of fuel from a country still waging war on its neighbor.
But wait, can Russia even deliver that much? I thought their refineries were in bad shape.
That is the thing.
Experts doubt the numbers.
Former American officials say nobody knows whether Putin even has that much diesel to sell.
And here's the backstory that makes this even wilder.
Desperate.
On September 25th, the Kremlin spokesman told the world that Russian diesel would hit global markets again only after countries dropped their sanctions.
Fourteen days later, Washington gave him exactly what he asked for.
Let me make sure I am hearing the stakes correctly.
Every gallon.
And that is the same money buying the missiles and drones raining down on Ukrainian apartment buildings.
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