Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt expressed skepticism about President Donald Trump's plan to return Russian diesel to global markets, warning in an exclusive interview with Newsweek that the proposal risks prolonging the war in Ukraine while doing little to lower fuel prices. The comments place the Republican governor among a growing number of GOP voices questioning Trump's decision to lift sanctions on Russian diesel exports as the administration searches for ways to ease soaring fuel costs ahead of the November midterm elections. Truckers, farmers, and consumers are watching diesel prices closely because the fuel powers transportation networks and agricultural operations nationwide.
While the White House has argued the arrangement with Moscow could provide relief, energy analysts have questioned whether the volumes involved are large enough to materially affect prices. Speaking with Newsweek at an Aspen Institute conference in Tulsa, Stitt said government intervention in fuel markets often produces unintended consequences. "You have to be very, very careful about any kind of government intervention because we may be prolonging a war with Ukraine for a short-term gain," Stitt said.
"And how much does it actually improve the prices, right?" His remarks come after Trump announced a deal in which Russia would release millions of barrels of diesel onto global markets, arguing the move would help lower fuel costs, which have become a growing economic and political issue. Newsweek has reached out to the White House via email for comment. Stitt acknowledged that diesel costs are pressuring farmers and businesses in Oklahoma and across the country.
The governor noted that his administration recently issued an executive order allowing broader use of farm diesel to reduce costs for agricultural producers. "We're seeing gasoline and diesel prices up, which are hurting our farmers ... and then also here just in Oklahoma," Stitt told Newsweek. But while Stitt recognized the economic pain caused by high fuel costs, he suggested the Russian diesel deal may not provide the relief the administration expects.
"It's kind of when President Biden drained out of our national stockpile some of the gas to try to alleviate prices," he said. "That's a very short-term fix." Stitt's assessment aligns with several energy market analysts who argue that the quantities Trump outlined represent only a small fraction of U.S. and global diesel demand. Russia has pledged to release 300,000 metric tons of diesel initially, equivalent to roughly 2.24 million barrels.
Even if distributed over a month, that volume would amount to only about 74,500 barrels per day, a small share of overall consumption. Analysts at Goldman Sachs and other energy firms have estimated the move would have only 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. Stitt stopped short of directly condemning Trump, saying the president must navigate the broader geopolitical realities surrounding Russia's war in Ukraine.
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