Why it is in the news
On Friday 9 October 2026, after a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump announced that Russia would supply over 300,000 tonnes of diesel to the US and global markets immediately, 500,000 tonnes in November, 1 million tonnes soon after and a further 3 million tonnes “within a short period”. The same day the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued General License No. 135, authorising transactions in Russian-origin diesel until 7 April 2027. The move sits awkwardly with the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, signed on 18 September 2026, which empowers the President to impose tariffs of up to 100% on top buyers of Russian energy, including India. Russian crude made up nearly half of India’s oil imports in August, and The Indian Express argues that the diesel deal hands New Delhi a new argument in its consultations with Washington.
The exam angle
Issue: Can secondary tariffs on Russian-energy buyers coexist with licensed Russian diesel supplies, and what does the contradiction offer a large importer like India?