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Trump’s Russian Diesel Deal Hits Trouble as Two Sanctioned Tankers Abandon US Routes
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Two tankers carrying Russian diesel that were initially expected to deliver their cargoes to the United States have changed course, raising doubts about President Donald Trump’s agreement with Russian leader Vladimir Putin to import Russian fuel, the Financial Times reported on November 4.
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According to the Financial Times, two tankers that had previously indicated destinations along the US Atlantic coast have since altered their routes.
The first vessel, Talisman, is a 20-year-old Russian tanker subject to sanctions imposed by the United States, United Kingdom, and European Union.
The second, Leruo, is a Hong Kong-owned vessel sailing under the Sierra Leone flag that is sanctioned by the United Kingdom, European Union, and Canada.
On November 2, Leruo updated its destination to Brazil, while Talisman diverted from the Atlantic Ocean into the Mediterranean Sea. The Russian vessel is now positioned off the Algerian coast and is signalling “for orders,” suggesting that no buyer or discharge port has yet been confirmed for its cargo.
Meanwhile, the Greek-owned tanker Agioi Fanendes, also transporting Russian diesel, appears to be maintaining its course toward the United States, although its destination status remains “for orders.”
The vessel’s operator, Eastern Mediterranean Maritime, previously informed the Financial Times that it was “proceeding for orders as discharging port is not confirmed yet.”
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Another sanctioned vessel, Beast, owned by a Seychelles-based company, left Russia’s Primorsk port on October 27 and has since headed toward the United States. The tanker is currently signalling “Atlantic,” indicating a possible destination along the US East Coast.
The reported diversions follow earlier warnings from Greenpeace Ukraine, which had been monitoring Russian diesel shipments linked to the agreement between Trump and Putin.
On October 30, the environmental organization reported that six tankers carrying approximately 288,000 tons of Russian diesel were heading toward the United States, representing the first planned deliveries under the agreement.
Greenpeace Ukraine warned that the shipments violated European sanctions and US legislation, calling on the vessels to abandon their planned routes.
The organization identified six tankers involved in the shipments: Taurus, Agioi Fanendes, Talisman, Leruo, Iblea, and Primorye.
Three of those vessels—Talisman, Leruo, and Primorye—are subject to sanctions imposed by multiple countries. Talisman, in particular, has been under US restrictions since January 2025.
At the time, Greenpeace Ukraine also cautioned that sanctioned Russian tankers frequently provide inaccurate shipping information or change their declared destinations during voyages, making it difficult to determine their actual routes.
On October 9, US President Donald Trump said he had held talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and secured an agreement to deliver Russian diesel fuel to the United States and international markets.
According to a statement published on his Truth Social platform, Russia is expected to immediately provide more than 300,000 tons of diesel to US and global markets, with an additional 500,000 tons scheduled for delivery in November and another 1 million tons to follow shortly afterward.
Trump described his conversation with Putin as an “extremely successful discussion” focused on the planned fuel shipments.
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