Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt expressed doubts about President Donald Trump’s plan to return Russian diesel to global markets, warning in an exclusive interview newsweek The proposal risks prolonging the war in Ukraine while doing little to lower fuel prices.
The comments make the Republican governor one of a growing number of Republicans questioning Trump’s decision to lift sanctions on Russian diesel exports as the administration looks for ways to ease soaring fuel costs ahead of the November midterm elections.
Truckers, farmers and consumers are paying close attention to diesel prices as the fuel powers transportation networks and agricultural operations across the country. While the White House believes the arrangement with Moscow could ease pressure, energy analysts question whether the volumes involved are enough to have a significant impact on prices.
talk with newsweek Speaking at the Aspen Institute conference in Tulsa, Stitt said government intervention in fuel markets often has unintended consequences.
“You have to be very, very careful about any kind of government intervention because we could be prolonging the war with Ukraine for short-term gain,” Stitt said. “How much does it actually raise prices, right?”
His comments came after Trump announced a deal that would see Russia release millions of barrels of diesel fuel onto global markets, saying the move would help reduce fuel costs, which have become a growing economic and political issue.
newsweek The White House was contacted for comment via email.
Oklahoma governor questions if Russian diesel will lower prices
Stitt acknowledged that diesel costs are putting pressure on farmers and businesses in Oklahoma and across the country. The governor noted that his administration recently issued an executive order allowing wider use of agricultural diesel to reduce costs for agricultural producers.
“We’re seeing gasoline and diesel prices go up, and that’s hurting our farmers … and that’s the same thing here in Oklahoma,” Stitt told reporters. newsweek.
But while Stitt is aware of the economic pain caused by high fuel costs, he said the Russian diesel deal may not provide the relief the government hopes for.
“President Biden has taken some natural gas out of our national reserves to try to lower prices,” he said. “That’s a very short-term solution.”
Stitt’s assessment is consistent with the views of several energy market analysts who believe that the volumes outlined by Trump represent only a small portion of U.S. and global diesel demand. Russia has promised to release 300,000 tons of diesel first, equivalent to about 2.24 million barrels. Even allocated for a month, the amount is only about 74,500 barrels per day, a small fraction of total consumption.
Analysts at Goldman Sachs and other energy firms estimated the move would have a limited impact on wholesale diesel prices, while former International Energy Agency official Neil Atkinson told CNBC the release was “very, very small” relative to market demand.
Republican criticism adds pressure on Trump diesel deal
Stitt stopped short of directly condemning Trump, saying the president must deal with broader geopolitical realities surrounding Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“This is an issue where the president has to deal with the geopolitical issues that are going on between Ukraine and Russia,” the governor said.
Still, his warning that the deal could “prolong” the conflict underscores the political challenge facing the government as it tries to balance economic concerns with continued pressure on Moscow.
A bipartisan group of 12 senators, including six Republicans and six Democrats, warned this week that allowing Russia to increase diesel exports would provide Moscow with revenue it could use to sustain its war in Ukraine. The senators argued that the fuel release would have a limited impact on prices while helping Russia deepen its security partnerships with countries such as China, Iran and North Korea.
Rep. Don Bacon, R-Nebraska, also criticized the move, saying it was time to increase pressure on Russia rather than ease sanctions.
Zelensky similarly condemned the deal, warning it could enhance Moscow’s ability to continue military operations.
Why energy markets may not react to Trump’s plan
Stitt believes it is market fundamentals that ultimately determine fuel prices, not ad hoc government actions.
“When you think about traders and what’s going on with futures in those markets, you really can’t impact it in the short term by adding a little bit more diesel or more gas to the overall global market,” he said.
The view reflects the assessment of several industry experts who say diesel prices remain high due to broader supply constraints. Recent Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries, ongoing disruptions related to conflicts in the Middle East and refinery outages have all contributed to tight global supplies.
The market response was also muted. Diesel futures were little changed after Trump’s announcement, suggesting traders may not expect additional supplies from Russia to significantly change market conditions.
The United States is also a net exporter of diesel, leading some analysts to question whether the country needs Russian supplies. Instead, experts say, additional oil supplies may mainly affect competition in international markets rather than directly affecting domestic supplies.
Oklahoma governor calls for long-term energy solutions
Beyond the Russian diesel debate, Stitt said the broader answer to energy affordability lies in expanding infrastructure and increasing domestic production.
The governor argued that years of regulatory and permitting delays have slowed the development of energy projects and the processing capacity needed to meet demand.
“People need to realize that this also allowed for reforms and not building more gas processing facilities for decades slowed down the drilling of oil and gas,” he told reporters. newsweek.
As governor of a major energy-producing state, Stitt said he supports an “all of the above” strategy, which includes oil and gas as well as wind, solar and nuclear power. He said growing power demands for artificial intelligence development and data centers will require significantly increased energy production in the coming years.
“We think our country needs more to meet the demands of the data center and artificial intelligence revolution,” Stitt said.
For now, however, the governor appears unconvinced that Russian diesel imports will be an effective solution to the current fuel price squeeze, instead warning that policymakers must weigh economic interests against the broader consequences of the war in Ukraine.
“We may be prolonging the war with Ukraine for short-term gain,” Stitt told reporters. newsweek.