Australia’s energy minister, Chris Bowen, said Saturday that his country does not “need or want Russian fuel,” hours after US president Donald Trump announced Russia had agreed to supply diesel to American and global markets. Canberra’s answer was blunt. Washington struck a bargain with Moscow.
Trump wrote on social media that, after a “highly successful discussion” with Vladimir Putin, Russia had agreed to immediately supply “300,000 Tons of Diesel Fuel.” He said 500,000 tons would follow in November, with volumes later rising to 3m tons depending on “the condition of [Russia’s] diesel refineries.” The announcement came as Trump faces political pressure over high diesel prices in the US ahead of next month’s midterm elections.
The Political Fallout
The deal drew criticism from Democrats and some Republicans. Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said it “plays into Russia’s hands – allowing it to kill more, wage war for longer, have even less respect for America, and inflict even greater losses and damage on the world.”
At his regular Saturday morning press conference on the country’s fuel reserves, Bowen said Russia “should not be rewarded for their illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine.” Australia had worked with its trading partners “as best as we possibly can” to ensure Russian fuel didn’t flow to Australia, he said. “We do not want Vladimir Putin to benefit from this war in the Middle East.” On Washington’s move, Bowen was careful: “What the United States does is a matter for them. But we won’t be changing our approach.”
A Different Answer From One Nation
Not everyone in Australian politics shares that view. One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, speaking on the sidelines of the CPAC convention in Brisbane, said she wanted to see more oil supplied and didn’t rule out backing a similar deal for Australia.
“If it’s going to get supplied all throughout the world, because a lot of countries are suffering from this lack of oil, I think it’s important to work with countries, if we can have the resources that we need,” she said. She added that countries can’t be allowed to “come to an absolute standstill, businesses shutting down, the cost to the consumer.” Pressed on whether that should specifically include Russian oil, she didn’t answer. In her CPAC speech, she called for Australia to “produce our own fuel as the world becomes more dangerous.”
Australia’s Fuel Position
The backdrop is a Middle East crisis, with uncertainty lingering amid Trump’s protracted war with Iran. This week, he had promised not to launch more attacks on Iran before the midterm elections.
Bowen said the “situation internationally remains difficult.” Australia holds 43 days’ worth of petrol and 31 days’ worth of diesel, consistent with recent updates. Fifty-one ships are on the way with fuel. Another 3.2bn litres of various types of fuel are locked in and contracted for delivery over the next four weeks.
At a meeting in Fiji preparing for the UN climate talks in Turkey, Bowen met senior Saudi Arabian representatives. “Obviously we continue to see attacks in Saudi Arabia,” he said, but he expressed confidence the Saudi government was taking steps to keep fuel flowing. Australia will keep working with trading partners in south-east Asia and beyond, including India and Saudi Arabia, and with domestic refiners to ensure they work “at full pelt,” he said. He remains in regular contact with the chief executives of Australia’s domestic refiners.
Why This Matters:
The episode shows how a fuel shock can strain alliance politics. Washington is trying to ease diesel prices before an election, while Canberra is holding a hard line on Russia even with only 31 days of diesel on hand. That gap tests how far allies will go to protect principle when supply is tight and consumers are paying more. Hanson’s remarks show domestic pressure building for a more pragmatic approach, and her call for homegrown fuel production points to a longer-term vulnerability. The Middle East crisis has exposed how exposed Australia is to supply disruptions. Can the government keep both its stance and its tanks full? The contracted deliveries are due over the next four weeks.