White House explores lifting sanctions on Dmitriev's RDIF for diesel deal

Mediation in fuel supply

The administration of US President Donald Trump is actively exploring the possibility of lifting the sanctions imposed on the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which is headed by Vladimir Putin's special envoy Kirill Dmitriev. The main objective of such steps is to ensure the conditions for agreements on the supply of Russian diesel fuel to American consumers.

As noted by The New York Times, representatives of the fund have already offered to act as intermediaries in these transactions.

History of restrictions and new strategy

Previously, in 2022, the Joe Biden administration designated the RDIF as Putin's "wallet" and imposed sanctions on the structure. The situation changed under President Trump: the White House believes that restoring economic ties with Moscow could become a catalyst for the cessation of hostilities.

US Treasury position

Meanwhile, the US Department of the Treasury clarified the details of the current status. It was noted that the fund has already received the relevant authorisations to conduct operations related to Russian diesel. In addition, the department is separately considering the issue of fully lifting the sanctions. For this scenario to be realised, the RDIF must confirm that the grounds for their introduction no longer exist.