Scivillage.com Casual Discussion Science Forum

https://metro.co.uk/2026/10/09/putin-pro...wsnow-feed

Vladimir Putin has offered Donald Trump 5 million US tons of diesel after a phone call with the US President. Posting on Truth Social, Trump said 300,00 tons of fuel would be released to America and the global marketplace ‘immediately’.

Another 500,000 tons is set to be released in November, and a further 1 million ‘immediately thereafter’. A US ton equates to 907kg, while a metric tonne weighs 1,000kg.

Russia is also set to provide 3 million tons ‘within a short period of time’ after the first three batches are released. It is not known when the fuel will become available to buyers.

Americans and Europeans have been facing rising diesel and petrol costs as the war with Iran disrupts the wholesale transportation of oil. And as the November midterm elections creep nearer, Trump is looking to appeal to voters desperate to bring their cost-of-living down.

Trump has gone so far as to threaten a restriction on gas exports, which would flood the US with more diesel and bring the prices down for drivers. But the latest fuel co-operation with Russia ‘will benefit the world’, Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev said.

Trump said: ‘Lower prices for Americans, especially our Great Farmers, Ranchers, and Truckers, is my Greatest Priority [sic].

Wonder how this one gets spun?

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...el-ukraine

Reddit poster:

Quote: What's even more hilarious is that Putin downgraded their fuel quality to Euro 3 because their infrastructure is so cooked. Russian diesel and gasoline with high-sulfur and contaminated sludge is blowing up Russian engines. Now America is going to be importing this same garbage.

Any truth to this?

(Yesterday 03:01 AM)Zinjanthropos Wrote: [ -> ][...] Reddit poster:

Quote: What's even more hilarious is that Putin downgraded their fuel quality to Euro 3 because their infrastructure is so cooked. Russian diesel and gasoline with high-sulfur and contaminated sludge is blowing up Russian engines. Now America is going to be importing this same garbage.

Any truth to this?

Selling some low-grade to Russian consumers, anyway. Not sure what's being exported.

(Aug 6) Russia rolls back fuel quality standards to quell domestic shortages
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/08/0...ges-a93430

INTRO: The Russian government has authorized the temporary production, import and sale of low-grade gasoline that was banned more than a decade ago, the Energy Ministry said Thursday, framing the move as an “anti-crisis measure” amid a nationwide fuel shortage. Under a decree signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Euro-2, Euro-3 and Euro-4 standard fuels will be allowed to be sold on the market through July 1, 2027.

(Jul 16) Russia quietly lets refiners sell lower-grade Euro-3 fuel as drone strikes squeeze supply
https://euromaidanpress.com/2026/06/16/r...e-strikes/

INTRO: Russia is trading fuel quality for quantity. To keep pumps supplied as drone strikes cut into refining, the government is letting some refineries sell dirtier, lower-grade gasoline and diesel on the home market, the business daily Kommersant reported, citing a source. Fuel sold under the Euro-5 label can now contain up to 150 milligrams of sulfur per kilogram—15 times what that grade allows.

Quote:Wonder how this one gets spun?

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...el-ukraine

Unpackaging the ire...

Zelenskyy furious as Trump announces deal to buy Russian diesel
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...el-ukraine

EXCERPT: Zelenskyy told Axios that it “looks like a happy birthday present for Putin. It looks absolutely terrible.” The Russian leader turned 74 this week.

In a long social media post, Zelenskyy, who has had an uneasy relationship with Trump, said the deal amounted to “an investment in a war that must be ended, not prolonged”. Russia was likely to repay it with “further terror and perfidy”.

“It plays into Russia’s hands – allowing it to kill more, wage war for longer, have even less respect for America, and inflict even greater losses and damage on the world,” he said.

Referring on Saturday to the attack on the south-eastern city of Zaporizhzhia that killed 12 people, Zelenskyy wrote on X: “Today, Russia expressed its thanks for the lifting of sanctions on diesel exports by dropping five glide bombs on residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia.

“Last night confirmed once again that in Russia, they take any easing of pressure to mean they can keep fighting, to mean they can keep dropping bombs on cities. Different signals are needed.”

​Separately, Russian media cited the defence ⁠ministry ⁠​as saying its forces ⁠had ​captured ‌the ‌settlements of Lukashove ‌and Lobanivka in Ukraine’s​ eastern ‌Kharkiv region. Zelenskyy previously said Putin had been playing games with Trump, and on Saturday, a Kremlin spokesperson said the Russian leader had responded with “understanding” to Trump’s proposals to de-escalate the conflict.

Trump announced the diesel deal as his envoys, Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner, met Ukrainian and European officials in Miami to discuss proposals to end the war.

Zelenskyy, in a separate statement released by Ukraine’s embassy in Washington on Friday, said the Ukrainian negotiators had been “used as a smokescreen for the deal”, which he called “a weak decision by strong partners”.

“That is certainly not fair. It is certainly not how partners should treat each other,” he said.

Trump recently criticized Ukraine for attacking Russian diesel refineries, calling on Zelenskyy to choose alternative targets. The Ukrainian leader rejected the request unless Russia stopped attacking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

---

Democrats
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...el-ukraine

EXCERPT: Democrats said the agreement undercut a law Trump signed last month allowing for a broad range of sanctions on Russian banks, officials and tankers, as well as directing him to impose steep tariffs on the top five importers of oil or natural gas from Russia. The law gave Trump wide discretion to make exceptions to its provisions.

“This is what failure looks like. Failure for President Trump to live up to his promises to lower costs for Americans. Failure to protect America from its adversaries,” said a statement from the Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer, Senator Jeanne Shaheen, who is the top Democrat on the foreign relations committee, and Senator Elizabeth Warren, the ranking Democrat on the banking committee.

Some Republicans also criticised the agreement.

“Propping up Putin’s war economy is morally wrong as he uses that money to bomb cities,” congressman Don Bacon, a Nebraska Republican, wrote on X. “The President’s policies towards Russia and Ukraine are failures. We need moral clarity not moral ambiguity.”

Putin says sales of Russian diesel to US, global markets will benefit world economy
https://aa.com.tr/en/economy/putin-says-...my/4084078

EXCERPTS: "In discussing the state of the global energy sector, the Russian side reaffirmed its readiness to supply oil and petroleum products to the US and global markets. I am confident that this will have a positive impact on the global economy as a whole," said Putin.

The statement said the conversation devoted "significant attention" to prospects for resolving the ongoing war in Ukraine. Putin also said the two leaders reaffirmed an agreement to maintain personal contacts and continue cooperation between their presidential administrations, intelligence agencies, and other government bodies.

Putin's remarks followed Trump's announcement of what he described as a "highly successful discussion" with the Russian president.

[...] After Putin's statements, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak told the state-run Tass news agency: "Russia views positively the steps taken by the United States to stabilize the global energy market and gradually restore normal energy trade, and stands ready to coordinate future actions aimed at creating a more predictable and healthy market.”

Novak said Russia is ready to supply additional diesel fuel to the US market as early as this month, and that diesel exports in November and December may increase as the country's refineries recover from repairs...

---

USA Threatens to stop sharing intelligence with Ukraine over attacks on Russian oil refineries
https://militarnyi.com/en/news/usa-threa...efineries/

INTRO: The U.S. has threatened to stop sharing intelligence with Ukraine if it continues to attack Russian oil refineries. This was reported by Axios, citing Ukrainian and U.S. officials.

According to a Ukrainian official, during eight hours of talks in Miami on Friday, October 9, U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner threatened to cut Ukraine off from U.S. intelligence data because it had ignored requests to stop strikes on Russian oil refineries.

A U.S. official denied that such threats were made. According to him, Witkoff and Kushner emphasized that the U.S. is a partner of Ukraine that supplies it with ammunition and intelligence, so Kyiv should not take actions that harm American consumers.

According to the publication, Trump decided to negotiate with Russia regarding diesel fuel supplies after Ukraine repeatedly rejected U.S. requests to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries. The U.S. side links these attacks to rising fuel prices in the United States.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had previously told Trump and his envoys that he was ready to halt attacks on Russian oil refineries if Russia stopped striking Ukraine’s power grid. According to an American official, Trump did not consider the attacks on oil refineries to be equivalent to Russia’s strikes on Ukraine’s power grid.

It should be recalled that in March 2025, the U.S. suspended the flow of intelligence data to Ukraine regarding targets on Russian territory. Following this, in particular, France announced that it was prepared to share its intelligence data with Ukraine in place of the United States.

However, a few days later, during talks in Saudi Arabia, the U.S. and Ukraine agreed to resume the exchange of data...

It will lower global prices while also further sapping Russia's supply. Yes, Russia will make money on it, but less than if the prices were higher. And even with sanctions, there are still markets willing to buy Russian oil, gas, and diesel... including the UK and other European countries still doing so right now.