Two sanctioned tankers divert from US route as Russian diesel deal falters

Two tankers carrying Russian diesel that had been expected to sail to the United States under the fuel arrangement between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have changed course, the Financial Times reported on Thursday. The vessels, the Talisman and the Leruo, no longer show the US Atlantic coast as their destination.

According to the FT, as relayed by Meduza and Ukrainska Pravda, the Leruo, a Hong Kong-owned tanker flagged in Sierra Leone, now lists Brazil. Meduza said the change was made as early as November 2. The Talisman has moved from the Atlantic into the Mediterranean and on November 5 was off the Algerian coast, signalling that it is waiting for orders.

Cargoes without clear buyers

The FT said that status most likely means the Talisman’s cargo has no confirmed buyer or port of discharge. The diversions were first noticed by the Russian investigative outlet Agentstvo, Meduza said. Both ships are under Western sanctions: the Talisman, a 20-year-old vessel, is sanctioned by the US, UK and EU, while the Leruo is subject to British, EU and Canadian measures.

Two other tankers are still heading for America. The Greek-owned Agioi Fanendes also signals that it awaits orders, but its owner, Eastern Mediterranean Maritime, told the FT that the discharge port has simply not been confirmed. The Seychelles-owned Beast, which loaded at Primorsk on October 27, is transmitting an “Atlantic” signal pointing to the US coast.

Kpler analyst Matt Smith told the FT that, given apparent hesitancy among American buyers over regulatory, legislative and sanctions questions, it would not be surprising if the Agioi Fanendes turned away too. Jacob Meldgaard, chief executive of the product tanker company Torm, said that even before Democrats took Congress, reintegrating Russia into the wider economy looked far from easy, even for an administration trying to do so.

Pressure on the deal

Ukrainska Pravda, summarising the FT, said analysts point to warnings by New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill that firms receiving Russian diesel could face harsh secondary sanctions. The Washington Sun reported earlier, citing industry groups, that Trump administration officials had privately encouraged American companies to take the cargoes despite warnings of legal exposure.

The diversions come as US diesel inventories have dropped below 100 million barrels for the first time in more than 20 years, according to the FT. A shortage of foreign cargoes could worsen the situation.

How the deal began

Trump and Putin spoke by phone on October 9 and then announced an agreement on Russian diesel supplies to American and global markets. The US Treasury issued a temporary licence allowing worldwide sales of the fuel despite sanctions. Reuters reported that the first tanker, the Agioi Fanendes, left Primorsk on October 22 and was due to deliver 40,000 tons to New York by November 7.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the arrangement as “an investment in the war.” Trump had said it would lower fuel prices at home, but analysts doubted that. The Wall Street Journal, citing the American Automobile Association, wrote in late October that US fuel prices had risen by another seven cents since the announcement.

On Polymarket, traders put the chance that the US imports Russian diesel by November 30 at 13%, down from 17% a day earlier and 51% a week ago.

Whether the Agioi Fanendes and the Beast complete their voyages to US ports is now the main open question.