“Donald Trump has made a deal to import Russian diesel into the United States.” — Donald Trump. Our verdict: Unverified.
The claim was made by Donald Trump and reported in a CNN transcript on 12 October 2026, in which President Zelenskyy publicly condemned Trump's announcement about a deal to import Russian diesel.
Our verdict
Unverified
We could not find enough public evidence to confirm or refute the claim that Donald Trump made a deal to import Russian diesel into the United States. Official records show that Russian diesel imports were legally authorised, but nothing in those records names Trump as the person behind the deal.
Know something that settles it? Send us evidenceWhat we found
The claim has two parts: that a deal exists, and that Trump made it. On the first part, the Office of Foreign Assets Control at the US Treasury issued General License No. 135 on 9 October 2026, which permits the sale, delivery, offloading and importation of Russian diesel into the United States until 7 April 2027. Earlier licences in March 2026 also allowed Russian petroleum product imports for a limited period. So a formal legal route for Russian diesel imports clearly exists. On the second part, we could not find any official record naming Trump as the person who made the deal. The only source linking Trump to the claim is a CNN transcript from 12 October 2026, which reports that President Zelenskyy publicly condemned an announcement by Trump about such a deal. That is one side's account of what was said, not independent confirmation. Treasury records updated in June 2026 do not mention any new deal to import Russian diesel, and we found no White House or Senate statement confirming Trump's role. Because the licensing documents confirm the imports were authorised but do not say who arranged them, we cannot verify the claim as stated.
The evidence
3 of 5 sources support the claim; none contradict it.
- Background
CNN reported that President Zelenskyy publicly condemned an announcement by Donald Trump regarding a deal to import Russian diesel. This is the only source that links Trump to the claim, and it reports Zelenskyy's reaction rather than confirming the deal itself. [1]
- Background
Official Treasury records updated in June 2026 set out prohibitions on petroleum services involving Russia and make no mention of a new deal to import Russian diesel. [2]
- Supports the claim
General License No. 135, issued on 9 October 2026, permits the sale, delivery, offloading and importation of Russian diesel fuel into the United States until 7 April 2027. This confirms the imports were legally authorised, but it does not name Trump as the person who made the deal. [3]
- Supports the claim
A Treasury general license issued in March 2026 permitted the import and sale of Russian crude oil and petroleum products, including diesel, for a limited period in March and April 2026. It shows a formal authorisation existed, but again does not attribute the deal to Trump. [4]
- Supports the claim
The Office of Foreign Assets Control publicly announced the issuance of General License 134, confirming that a formal US authorisation for Russian petroleum product imports existed in March 2026. It does not identify Trump as the party behind it. [5]
What we could not confirm
- Whether Donald Trump personally announced or arranged the deal, as the only source is a CNN transcript reporting Zelenskyy's account.
- Whether any actual diesel shipments took place under the licence.
- Whether any White House or Senate statement confirms Trump's involvement, as we found none.
How we checked
We looked at the CNN transcript where the claim was reported, at Treasury records on Russia-related sanctions and licensing, and at official announcements of general licences covering Russian diesel and petroleum imports. We could not find any official record naming Trump as the person who made the deal. If you have evidence that confirms or refutes this claim, please send it to us. We reviewed 5 relevant sources.
Sources
- [1]transcripts.cnn.com · Transcripts · October 12, 2026
- [2]ofac.treasury.gov · Frequently Asked Questions - Recently Updated | Office of Foreign Assets Control · June 11, 2026
- [3]ofac.treasury.gov · General License No. 135 – Authorizing Transactions Related to the Sale, Delivery, Offloading, and Importation of Diesel Fuel of Russian Federation Origin · October 9, 2026
- [4]ofac.treasury.gov · Ukraine-/Russia-Rel · March 12, 2026
- [5]ofac.treasury.gov · Issuance of Russia-related General License · March 12, 2026
- [6]Photo: Daniel Torok / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Help us check this claim
We could not find enough public evidence to confirm or refute this claim. If you know of an official record, dataset, transcript or report that settles it, send us the link. We review every submission and update this fact check when the evidence changes the picture.
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