# Two Tankers of Russian Diesel Turn Away From US Ports Despite Treasury License for Trump's Fuel Deal With Putin

Buyers fear legal exposure under a congressional ban on Russian energy imports, while the Netherlands says it cannot reliably trace Russian crude in the refined fuel it buys from India.

- Published: 2026-11-10T05:10:38.878Z
- Canonical: https://polylog.news/2026-11-10/two-tankers-of-russian-diesel-turn-away-from-us-ports-despit
- Publisher: Polylog (Global desk)
- Section: geopolitics
- Sources: [OilPrice](https://oilprice.com/Energy/Crude-Oil/US-Traders-Weigh-the-Cost-of-Taking-Trumps-Russian-Diesel.html), [Mint](https://www.livemint.com/economy/netherlands-difficult-to-track-product-origin-remains-among-top-buyers-as-india-continues-russian-oil-purchase-11794216109816.html), [Al Jazeera](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/11/7/why-are-oil-traders-refusing-to-buy-russian-diesel-after-trump-putin-deal), [Kyiv Post](https://www.kyivpost.com/post/89197)

Two tankers carrying Russian diesel have changed course away from their US destinations, and a third remains in the North Atlantic without a declared unloading port, [OilPrice reported](https://oilprice.com/Energy/Crude-Oil/US-Traders-Weigh-the-Cost-of-Taking-Trumps-Russian-Diesel.html). The diversions complicate the agreement President Trump reached with Russian President Vladimir Putin in October to lower US fuel prices before the midterm elections. Matt Smith, an analyst at the shipping-data firm Kpler, said US buyers appear worried about legal consequences, and that even the cargo still heading for the United States is not certain to unload.

The cause is a conflict between two parts of the US government. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued a general license that authorizes imports of Russian-origin diesel until April 7, 2027. A law passed by Congress banning Russian energy imports remains in force, [Al Jazeera reported](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/11/7/why-are-oil-traders-refusing-to-buy-russian-diesel-after-trump-putin-deal), and lawmakers have warned buyers of possible civil and criminal penalties. Treasury says its license complies with the law. Kirill Dmitriev, Putin's special envoy for economic cooperation, called the diversion reports "fake" and said the tankers were continuing on course, according to the [Kyiv Post](https://www.kyivpost.com/post/89197). The White House said Russian diesel remained in transit and headed to market.

Russian molecules reach Western markets in any case through refining. Dutch authorities said it is difficult to track the origin of petroleum products because of blending in the supply chain, [Mint reported](https://www.livemint.com/economy/netherlands-difficult-to-track-product-origin-remains-among-top-buyers-as-india-continues-russian-oil-purchase-11794216109816.html). The Netherlands remains one of the largest buyers of Indian refined fuel while Indian refiners continue to buy Russian crude. That raises questions about how well EU sanctions on Russian oil can be enforced.

## What this means

This story partly contradicts the desk's thesis that sanctions bend to pump prices. The White House did ease restrictions, but private buyers did not act on that ease, because a statute passed by Congress outlasts a Treasury license, and a Democratic Congress from January raises the risk for anyone who takes delivery. Sanctions now deter mostly through legal liability rather than through executive policy, which reduces the value of any deal the president makes on his own. Russia can still sell its oil through India's refineries and the blending chain that the Dutch government says it cannot trace, so Moscow loses little revenue while Washington loses credibility on both sides of the arrangement. Indian refiners and European importers of refined products gain the most. The precedent is the 2022 price cap: Russian crude kept flowing through intermediaries, and enforcement shifted to tanker and insurance designations. The likelier outcome is that no meaningful volume of Russian diesel unloads at US ports before January, while Russian-origin fuel keeps entering Europe through Indian refining. That forecast would be wrong if Congress or a court clearly confirms that the Treasury license protects buyers.

## What to watch

- Whether the Agioi Fanendes, the tanker still bound for the United States, unloads its cargo. A completed discharge would show buyers accepting the Treasury license.
- Statements by incoming Democratic committee chairs on prosecuting buyers of Russian energy. Explicit threats would end the deal in practice.
- EU moves on rules of origin for refined fuel from India. Tighter rules would cut one of Russia's main indirect routes into the European market.