Russia: US Sought Assistance from Moscow’s Sovereign Wealth Fund to Implement Diesel Deal

By Staff, Agencies

Russia announced on Friday that the US Treasury Department had asked the Russian Direct Investment Fund [RDIF] to help implement a recently announced diesel supply agreement between Moscow and Washington.

Speaking at the Russian Energy Week conference in Moscow, Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev said the request concerned the processing of payments and the resolution of “purely tactical matters” related to the agreement.

Dmitriev, who also serves as chief executive of the RDIF, said the fund would work to ensure that payments were processed efficiently and delivered to their intended recipients, according to remarks reported by Russian media, including the state news agency RIA.

Last Friday, US President Donald Trump announced the diesel supply agreement following a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Under the arrangement, Moscow agreed to supply diesel fuel to the United States and international markets.

Putin described the agreement as beneficial to the global economy. However, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky criticized the deal, warning that easing restrictions on Russian diesel exports could provide Moscow with additional revenue to support its military campaign in Ukraine.

Dmitriev also revealed that the US Energy Department had already identified several Russian companies expected to supply diesel fuel to the American market.

Addressing broader relations between Moscow and Washington, the Russian envoy said the two countries would soon announce further significant initiatives, describing the diesel agreement as a sign that “the ice” was finally beginning to break between them.

He acknowledged that efforts to expand bilateral cooperation faced considerable challenges and opposition from various quarters, but stressed that discussions on a wide range of projects were continuing.

According to Dmitriev, the two sides are exploring potential cooperation in energy projects involving the Arctic, liquefied natural gas [LNG] and other sectors.

He added that Russia and the United States were also negotiating joint initiatives involving data centers, including facilities that would use electricity generated by Russian nuclear power plants.

The developments point to renewed efforts by Moscow and Washington to explore economic and energy cooperation despite ongoing geopolitical tensions and disagreements over the conflict in Ukraine.