Shipping Russian diesel to the United States under a recently announced agreement could take between 15 and 20 days once contracts are finalized, a senior Russian official said, though no specific date has been set for the contract signings. The accord was revealed last week by U.S. President Donald Trump as part of an effort to alleviate rising fuel prices ahead of the U.S. midterm elections scheduled for November 3.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Alexander Novak stated in an interview with state media that negotiations are ongoing to finalize the commercial terms of the deal. “Once the contracts are signed, the fuel will reach the U.S. markets within 15 to 20 days,” Novak said, emphasizing that the timing depends on the completion of the paperwork.

Earlier in the week, Kirill Dmitriev, an adviser to the Kremlin on international economic cooperation, indicated that contracts could be signed within days, although no formal confirmation has been made.

The deal comes amid growing concerns in the U.S. over increased fuel prices, influenced in part by the conflict in Iran. Rising pump prices have raised political stakes for the Republican Party as it faces the upcoming midterm elections, with fears that inflationary pressures on consumers could lead to electoral losses.

Despite the political significance of the agreement, industry experts have expressed skepticism about its potential impact on fuel prices for American consumers. The United States consumes approximately 3.9 million barrels of diesel daily, while the deal with Russia initially covers around 2.22 million barrels in total. This volume represents only about half a day’s worth of U.S. diesel consumption, leading analysts to question how much relief the deal will provide at the pump.

As negotiations continue, market watchers will be closely monitoring developments, although the effectiveness of the agreement in addressing broader energy costs remains uncertain.