The key facts
- The Russia-US diesel deal will take effect from Friday, Dmitriev said in Istanbul
- Supplies of fertilizers to the US and joint AI data centers are being discussed
- Dmitriev predicts an escalation of the fuel crisis in the EU and the resumption of the Nord Streams
Diesel deal takes effect
The agreement between Russia and the US on supplies of Russian diesel will take effect from Friday, said on Thursday Kirill Dmitriev, special representative of the Russian president for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries. Speaking in Istanbul on the sidelines of the Verona Eurasian Economic Forum, he said: “We all know about the diesel deal, it will literally start being implemented tomorrow.” Dmitriev added that Russia is open to similar diesel deals with European countries as well, if relevant requests are received.
Other areas of cooperation
According to Dmitriev, Moscow and Washington are discussing potential supplies of Russian fertilizers to the US market, other energy projects and technological cooperation, including the possible creation of joint data centers for artificial intelligence. He expressed confidence that economic cooperation between the two countries will continue to expand, despite objections from some European officials, noting that European countries themselves purchase significantly more Russian energy resources than the US.
Forecasts for Europe and the Nord Streams
Dmitriev predicted a worsening of the fuel crisis in Europe, linking it to the rejection of Russian energy supplies: “We see a fuel crisis in Europe, and it will only intensify.” In his opinion, the more deals Russia has with the US, the more European companies will want to join them. He also stated that European business is suffering from high energy prices due to EU policy, and that representatives of European companies approached the Russian delegation at the forum, expressing support for maintaining dialogue with Moscow. In addition, Dmitriev predicted that Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 would eventually resume operation: “There is no doubt about it. It is inevitable.”
Background on the pipelines
Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 are designed to deliver Russian gas directly to Germany across the Baltic Sea. Nord Stream 1 operated from 2011, Nord Stream 2 was completed in 2021 but never put into operation. In September 2022, explosions damaged three of the four pipeline strings. The investigation into the sabotage in Germany is ongoing; in 2025, a suspect in coordinating the attack — a Ukrainian citizen — was detained.
