The key facts
- A Malta-flagged tanker is carrying about 300,000 barrels of Russian diesel fuel to the US
- CNN sees this as a threat to the years-long strategy of isolating Russia
- The lifting of restrictions on the sovereign wealth fund and LNG and data center projects are under discussion
A tanker carrying Russian diesel is heading to the US
US President Donald Trump's rapprochement with the Kremlin is putting at risk the West's long-standing strategy of economically isolating Russia. This is the conclusion reached by CNN, which analyzed the resumption of Russian diesel fuel supplies to the US and the prospects for new commercial projects between the two countries. A vivid sign of the shift in course is the Malta-flagged tanker Agioi Fanendes, which is heading to the US with a cargo of about 300,000 barrels of Russian diesel fuel. Back in 2022, Washington and its allies sought a complete abandonment of Russian energy resources, imposing restrictions on trade and financial transactions in order to deprive Moscow of export revenues.
Assessments and projects under discussion
The Trump administration is now open to deals with Russia. Ben Harris, a former US Treasury Department official who helped develop anti-Russian sanctions, described the White House's current actions as evidence of a loss of interest in this instrument of pressure. According to CNN, the diesel fuel arrangement could prove to be the beginning of broader economic cooperation: the construction of data centers involving Russian and American companies is under discussion, as well as joint projects to produce liquefied natural gas in the Arctic. Thomas Wright, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, believes the diesel deal could be the first sign of a change in the American approach, which, in his view, causes serious concern among Western analysts.
Additional signals
An additional signal was the discussion between Washington and Moscow about the possible lifting of restrictions on the Russian sovereign wealth fund imposed under the Joe Biden administration. In addition, in October Trump canceled sanctions related to the sale of Russian fossil fuels shortly before they were due to take effect. Earlier, Trump also suggested that grand receptions attended by Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping could one day be held in the new White House ballroom; according to him, special attention is being paid to the security of guests, including heads of state, during the construction of the facility, and the ballroom is being designed as an especially sturdy structure with modern protective technologies.
