Putin and Trump hold phone call; Trump says Russia agreed to supply diesel fuel

Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump held a telephone conversation. Both CGTN, China's state broadcaster, and RT, Russian state media, report the call.

According to CGTN, the call took place on Friday, 9 October 2026. CGTN reported that Trump confirmed it in a post on Truth Social.

CGTN's account of what was said comes from the Kremlin, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak and Trump's post. The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not include independent reporting on the content of the call.

Diesel and oil

CGTN quoted Trump's post: "I have just concluded a highly successful discussion with President Vladimir Putin, of Russia, wherein it was agreed that Russia will immediately supply over 300,000 Tons of Diesel Fuel to the American and Global Marketplace, another 500,000 Tons during the month of November, and 1,000,000 Tons immediately thereafter." Trump added that Russia would then deliver 3,000,000 tons "within a short period of time", depending on the condition of its refineries. He said he was confident the supplies would help bring down global diesel prices quickly.

The Kremlin said Russia reaffirmed its readiness to supply oil and petroleum products to US and global markets, according to CGTN. CGTN quoted Putin as saying: "I am confident that this will have a positive impact on the entire global economy." The Kremlin's account, as relayed by CGTN, does not mention the volumes Trump cited.

On the same day, the US Department of the Treasury issued a temporary general license allowing the sale, delivery, offloading and importation of Russian-origin diesel fuel to the global market, according to CGTN. The reports do not include the license's text, duration or conditions.

After the call, Novak said Russia would begin lifting restrictions on diesel exports ahead of schedule and stands ready to supply additional volumes to the US and other partners, according to CGTN. The reports give no timeline.

What each side says

The Kremlin said the presidents gave considerable attention to prospects for resolving the Ukraine crisis. It said they also discussed Iran and bilateral relations. They reaffirmed commitment to personal contacts and to cooperation between their administrations, intelligence services and other agencies.

Ushakov spoke to reporters separately, according to CGTN. He described the call as friendly and substantive and said it lasted 1.5 hours. CGTN quoted him as saying Putin "spoke in detail about the measures we are taking in response to terrorist attacks by the Kyiv regime". He said Russian forces are advancing in what Russia calls the "special military operation" zone.

Ushakov said the presidents had earlier considered resuming trilateral talks after the State Duma elections, but the situation has changed. He accused Kyiv of trying to sabotage the elections, including through a drone attack on Moscow, other cities and polling stations.

What is not established

The reports do not include a Ukrainian response or independent verification of the drone attack Ushakov described. They do not include a US account of the Ukraine or Iran discussions, or describe what was said about Iran. The CGTN report reviewed appears incomplete, and RT's report was available only as a headline and summary.

Analysis

The call links two separate issues: energy supply and the war in Ukraine. If the diesel volumes Trump cited materialise, they could affect global fuel markets, but Moscow has not, in the reports reviewed, confirmed those figures. The Treasury license issued the same day may be connected, though the reports do not establish a link. On Ukraine, Ushakov's remarks suggest Moscow sees no immediate restart of trilateral talks. Washington's and Kyiv's views on that are not reflected. Much depends on whether the US side, Ukraine and independent sources confirm or contest these accounts.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.