Sikorski: Polish embassy reports fuel shortage in Moscow after Trump–Putin diesel deal
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said on October 10 that the Polish Embassy in Russia is observing a fuel deficit even in Moscow, a city normally prioritized for supply. His post came a day after US President Trump announced an agreement with Russian President Putin for large Russian diesel supplies to world markets, and questioned how Russia could deliver export surpluses given Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refining capacity.
Key points
- Sikorski said on October 10 via X that the Polish Embassy in Russia is reporting a fuel deficit even in Moscow, normally prioritized for supply.
- Citing what he called "serious" sources, Sikorski said Ukraine has already damaged about 50% of Russia's oil refining capacity.
- On October 9, Trump announced a deal with Putin for Russia to supply hundreds of thousands of tons of diesel to American and world markets.
- The US Treasury issued a license permitting operations with Russian diesel until April 7, 2027.
- On September 20, Axios reported Trump repeatedly pressed Zelensky to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries; "diesel" was a recurring topic in the call.
- Zelensky called the US decision weak and said the Ukrainian negotiating team was in the US at the time, warning: "Our team is simply being used as a cover."
- Axios reported the deal triggered a "new crisis with Ukraine" and could derail the White House's peace efforts.
Why it matters
Sikorski's observation of a fuel shortfall in Moscow itself undercuts the premise of the Trump–Putin deal, which envisages large new Russian diesel exports to global markets. The reported US Treasury license allowing operations with Russian diesel until April 2027 represents a significant sanctions-related concession. Zelensky's response signals fresh strain in the US–Ukraine partnership at a moment when Ukrainian and American negotiating teams were already in contact, and against the backdrop of Trump's reported pressure on Ukraine to halt strikes on Russian oil infrastructure.
What happened
On October 9, US President Trump announced an agreement with Russian President Putin for Russia to supply hundreds of thousands of tons of diesel fuel to American and world markets. The US Treasury issued a license permitting operations with Russian diesel until April 7, 2027. The deal, according to Axios, came after Ukraine refused to stop striking Russian oil refining facilities, and was reported to have triggered a "new crisis with Ukraine" that could derail White House peace efforts. President Zelensky called the US decision weak, noting that a Ukrainian negotiating team was in the United States at the time, and said the team was "simply being used as a cover."
The following day, October 10, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said via X that the Polish Embassy in Russia is observing a fuel deficit even in Moscow, a city that would normally be prioritized for supply. Citing what he described as "serious" sources, Sikorski said Ukraine has already damaged about 50% of Russia's oil refining capacity, and asked where the export surpluses of Russian diesel envisaged by the Trump–Putin deal would come from.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
The available Ukrainian-language source frames the episode through the US–Russia diesel deal, foregrounding Zelensky's criticism of the US decision and the strain it places on the US–Ukraine partnership. It highlights that the concession came while a Ukrainian negotiating team was in the United States, presenting the timing as central to the story's significance.
Where reporting differs
Estimates of how much of Russia's oil refining capacity has been damaged vary between sources and over time. Zelensky said on September 23 that roughly 45% of Russia's refining capacity had been destroyed. Sikorski's October 10 post, citing what he called "serious" sources, put the figure at about 50%.
Background
Ukraine has struck Russian oil refining infrastructure for months; Zelensky said on September 23 that roughly 45% of Russia's refining capacity had been destroyed, producing a diesel shortage. In the same period, Axios reported, Trump pressed Zelensky during a phone call to halt such strikes, with diesel a recurring topic. Sikorski's post, drawing on what he called "serious" sources, raised the share of damaged Russian refining capacity to about 50%.