Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov described Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump’s roughly 90-minute phone call as “substantive” and “friendly.” He said Putin blamed alleged Ukrainian drone attacks during Russia’s parliamentary elections for undermining the prospect of immediately resuming peace talks. Trump announced a separate Russian diesel supply arrangement, alongside temporary U.S. sanctions relief.
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Ushakov’s account of the call
The leaders spoke on Friday, October 9. Ushakov said neither wanted to be the first to end the call; reports also said Trump congratulated Putin on his birthday and wished him success.
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Ushakov said the leaders discussed the war in Ukraine as well as economic cooperation. He also said Trump listened to Putin’s position and would have the relevant message conveyed to the Ukrainian delegation meeting U.S. representatives in Miami.
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Moscow’s stated reason for delaying peace talks
According to Ushakov, Putin told Trump that alleged Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow, other Russian cities and polling stations—and attacks on people involved in organising the election—had disrupted the possibility of an immediate resumption of negotiations. Ushakov said Moscow would now consider when talks could resume.
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These are Kremlin allegations, not independently established facts in the reporting cited here. The Institute for the Study of War described the Kremlin’s claim as an attempt to blame Ukraine for halting the prospect of renewed negotiations.
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The call came as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had described the war as a “dangerous stalemate” and said Washington would continue working toward a settlement.
36 The reports cited here do not provide enough detail to attribute a specific Russian retaliatory measure to Putin’s remarks.
Diesel shipments and temporary sanctions relief
Trump said Russia would supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel immediately, followed by 500,000 tons in November and 1 million tons thereafter. Reporting also described a further 3 million tons, with the timing or volume dependent on refinery conditions. These were announced or reported plans, not evidence that the fuel had already been delivered.
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The U.S. Treasury’s temporary licence was reported to allow Russian diesel sales or imports through April 7, 2027. Russia also said it would begin lifting its diesel export restrictions.
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The Associated Press characterized the deal as a reversal of years of U.S. pressure on Moscow, presented as a way to address fuel prices ahead of the midterm elections. But the promised effect on prices is uncertain: analysts cited in reporting questioned whether the additional supply would make a meaningful difference in a tight global diesel market.
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What the reports leave unclear
The available reporting does not establish the full details of any Russian retaliation discussed on the call, or whether Washington offered something in return for the diesel arrangement. The cited reports also do not verify the more specific claim that the licence applied only to diesel already loaded onto tankers by Friday. These details should not be treated as confirmed on the basis of the information cited here.