UK restates support for Ukraine after US and Russia agree diesel supply deal

The British government said on 10 October 2026 that it will keep working with international partners to ensure Ukraine has military and financial support. It also said it will keep up sanctions pressure on Russia. The statement responded to an agreement between the United States and Russia announced the day before. The Prime Minister’s Office at 10 Downing Street published it on GOV.UK under the title “UK government response to agreement between US and Russia: 9 October”.

“The UK’s position could not be clearer,” a government spokesperson said. “We will continue working closely with international partners to ensure Ukraine has the military and financial support it needs to defend itself.” The spokesperson said the UK would maintain “the toughest sanctions regime ever imposed by the UK”. The statement does not describe the agreement or comment on its terms.

The diesel agreement

On Friday 9 October, US President Donald Trump said on social media that he had made a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin during a phone call, the Associated Press reported. According to the AP, Trump said Russia would immediately supply more than 300,000 tonnes of diesel, then 500,000 tonnes in November and 1 million tonnes after that. He said a further 3 million tonnes would follow later. The AP reported that Trump did not mention sanctions or the war in Ukraine in his announcement. Kai Times did not verify Trump’s post with a primary source.

The United States Department of the Treasury issued a temporary licence the same day. The news agency ANI reported on the document from the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). According to ANI, General License No. 135 allows the sale, delivery, offloading and importation of diesel fuel of Russian origin, including into the United States, until 12:01 a.m. EDT on 7 April 2027. ANI reported that the licence does not allow debits to US accounts held by the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, the National Wealth Fund of the Russian Federation or the Russian Ministry of Finance. Kai Times could not open the licence text on the Treasury website.

The AP said the White House had not immediately answered questions about who was paying for the diesel or when it would arrive. The AP also reported that the national average US diesel price was $6.23 a gallon, according to the motoring organisation AAA. Prices had hit a record $6.52 on 22 September.

Reactions from Moscow and Kyiv

The AP quoted a Kremlin statement in which Putin said Russia “confirmed its readiness to supply oil and oil products to the American and global markets”. Kai Times could not open the Kremlin’s own text. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticised the deal in a social media post. The AP quoted him as saying: “Gifts to Putin will not bring peace or any benefit to the civilized world.”

The British statement said Ukraine had “repeatedly demonstrated it is serious about peace”. It also said Russia had rejected full and partial ceasefires while continuing attacks on Ukrainian civilians and energy. “Russia could end this war today,” the spokesperson said.

In background notes to the statement, the government said international conflicts can affect global energy markets and the cost of living. It said it was monitoring developments and working with partners to support stable energy markets. It also said the UK “fully supports US-led efforts to secure a just and lasting peace in Ukraine” and remains in close contact with the US, Ukraine and other allies.

Sanctions background

The AP reported that Trump signed a Russia sanctions law last month aimed at Russia’s energy economy. The law directs the administration to impose tariffs of up to 100% on the top five importers of Russian oil or natural gas, with some exceptions. According to the AP, the US has not imported Russian oil or gas since 2022. The AP also reported that Russia has banned diesel exports since July, and that the International Energy Agency says Russian diesel output has fallen by about 30%.

ANI cited the Russian news agency TASS as reporting that Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak recently said Russia’s diesel market was balanced. According to TASS, he said Moscow would consider partially reopening exports only if there was overproduction. It could not be established when the first Russian diesel cargoes under the agreement would be delivered.

The British government’s statement was verified with its primary source on GOV.UK. Kai Times could check the terms of the US-Russia agreement, the details of the OFAC licence and the reactions from Moscow and Kyiv only in reports by the Associated Press and ANI, not with primary sources.