Two Russian tankers carrying diesel bound for the United States under the Trump-Putin fuel agreement have abruptly reversed course—one is now sitting off the coast of Algeria heading the opposite direction, while the other is sailing toward Brazil—as a New Jersey governor and a Democratic senator warn that the cargo cannot legally enter American ports, 15min.lt reported.
The vessels, named Talisman and Leruo, were loaded with Russian diesel under a deal President Donald Trump announced with Vladimir Putin on October 9, a move the White House framed as a way to push down soaring fuel prices ahead of the midterm elections. But tracking data cited by the Financial Times shows the ships have abandoned their American destinations, and a third tanker, the Agioi Fanendes, is reportedly still steaming toward New York with 40,000 tons of Russian diesel aboard.
The deal that unraveled before it docked
The Trump-Putin arrangement was supposed to be simple: Russia would resume diesel exports to the United States, which had been halted under sweeping international sanctions imposed after Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Trump promised more than 300,000 tons immediately, another 500,000 tons in November, and a further 1 million tons later, technologijos.lt reported. The stated goal was to cool energy prices that had spiked amid the war with Iran and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
But there is a catch. The 2022 law signed by then-President Joe Biden explicitly bans the import of Russian fuel, including diesel, and only Congress can repeal it—or the president can certify that Russia has withdrawn its forces from Ukraine. Neither condition has been met.
New Jersey draws a legal line in the water
Governor Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey sent an open letter on Monday to port and terminal operators warning them not to accept any tanker carrying Russian diesel. She said purchasing or unloading the fuel could expose companies and individuals to severe penalties, including civil and criminal liability, tv3.lt and Delfi reported. At least one of the vessels, she noted, could have been headed for New Jersey, a major hub for oil product imports and distribution.
Sherrill, a former Navy helicopter pilot, argued that the Trump-Putin deal “directly contradicts” the 2022 congressional ban. She also raised a sharper geopolitical point: buying Russian oil indirectly finances Iran, Russia’s ally and a country she said is “at war with America” and killing American troops.
“For any efforts to profit from the illegal trade in Russian fuel will be severely punished. I urge you not to accept a single tanker seeking to use your infrastructure to carry out such illegal activity,” Sherrill wrote in the letter.
A senator tells one ship to turn around
Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, went further and addressed the shipping company directly. In a letter to Eastern Mediterranean Maritime Limited, operator of the Agioi Fanendes, he warned the vessel to change course “while there is still time,” LRT reported, citing The Kyiv Independent. Blumenthal said that if the ship enters a U.S. port and unloads, the company would be participating in or facilitating an illegal operation.
“I am sending a strong message to shipping companies whose tankers are carrying illegal Russian diesel fuel to our ports,” Blumenthal wrote. “The president may have given permission to facilitate this deal, but only Congress can give him the legal authority to do so.”
What the numbers show so far
The tankers’ diversion is not the only sign the deal is struggling. The Wall Street Journal reported that since the agreement was announced, the average price of a gallon of diesel in the United States has actually risen by 7 cents to $6.35, technologijos.lt noted. One tanker’s cargo, the analysis pointed out, covers American demand for only a day or two, and the U.S. exports more diesel than it imports.
| Vessel | Cargo | Intended destination | Current status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Talisman | Russian diesel | U.S. Atlantic coast | Off Algeria, reversed course |
| Leruo | Russian diesel | United States | Heading toward Brazil |
| Agioi Fanendes | 40,000 tons Russian diesel | New York | Reportedly still en route |
Why the legal fight matters beyond one cargo
The standoff exposes a deeper tension inside the U.S. government: the executive branch has signaled it wants the fuel, but federal law and at least one state government say it cannot enter. Port operators now face contradictory signals—a presidential agreement on one side and a governor’s threat of prosecution on the other. For shipping companies, the risk calculus has shifted overnight: a lucrative cargo contract versus potential criminal exposure.
Kyiv had pledged not to attack Russian fuel shipments bound for the U.S., but the cargo is now being turned away by American legal pressure rather than Ukrainian missiles.
The open question is whether the third tanker, the Agioi Fanendes, will heed Blumenthal’s warning and turn back—or whether it will test the legal line Sherrill has drawn.
