Witkoff thanks Putin on Trump’s behalf for lifting restrictions on Russian diesel

On October 21 in St. Petersburg, U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff thanked Vladimir Putin on Donald Trump’s behalf for the resumption of Russian diesel exports. He described the decision as important for farmers, truckers and consumers worldwide amid an economic crisis. Russia partially lifted its export ban following a phone agreement between Trump and Putin on October 9; the restrictions had been imposed to protect domestic supplies after Ukrainian strikes on refineries. Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the agreement, while EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Europe would not ease pressure on Russia.