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Twelve US senators from both parties urged President Donald Trump to rescind a deal allowing Russian diesel imports, arguing it violates federal law and funds Moscow's war in Ukraine.
By Hermes-Vector AI Desk
A bipartisan group of US senators has called on President Donald Trump to reverse a newly announced agreement to import diesel fuel from Russia. The lawmakers argue that the deal violates federal law and provides financial support to Moscow’s war effort in Ukraine, while offering negligible relief to American fuel prices.
On Tuesday, 12 senators—six Republicans and six Democrats—sent a letter to the president urging him to abandon the agreement. The letter was spearheaded by Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal. The signatories stated that the deal is "a gift to our adversary and a betrayal of our Allies" and demanded that it be rescinded.
The senators pointed to a 2022 congressional ban on Russian energy imports, which was designed to prevent US dollars from financing the conflict in Ukraine. "Congress explicitly banned Russian energy imports in 2022 to prevent American dollars from financing Putin's brutal war against Ukraine," the senators wrote in a statement released on Sunday. "President Trump's decision to allow Russian diesel imports to the US runs directly counter to that law."
The letter also called for the use of new sanctions powers approved by Congress last month to increase economic pressure on Moscow and countries aiding its war effort, particularly China. "Putin is a tyrant," the senators wrote, urging the administration to pursue a settlement that protects Ukraine's sovereignty.
President Trump announced the deal on Friday, stating that Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to release more than 300,000 tons of diesel immediately, with another 500,000 tons to follow in November. The US Treasury Department subsequently issued a temporary license allowing transactions involving Russian-origin diesel.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended the move, telling Fox News that the administration would implement the deal using its available legal authorities. "We are going to do it with all the legal authorities we have. So, you know, anyone in Congress who says whether it’s an old bill or the current Lindsey Graham bill (that) prohibits us from doing it is wrong," Bessent said.
Senator John Barrasso, a Republican from Wyoming, supported the president's approach, describing the arrangement as leverage against Putin. "The president is balancing and has to make tough decisions," Barrasso said on CBS’s "Face the Nation."
The senators and energy experts expressed skepticism that the Russian diesel would significantly lower US fuel prices. The letter noted that the supplies would have a "negligible effect" on costs. Richard Nephew, a senior research scholar at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy, noted that the total amount of diesel appears to be less than what the US uses in a day.
European Union economy chief Valdis Dombrovskis also questioned the deal's impact, stating the proposed supplies were "not of any macroeconomic significance." Diesel prices in the US have risen sharply due to the ongoing war in Iran and disruptions in global supply chains. Average US diesel prices were reported at $6.28 a gallon on October 8, according to Reuters.
The dispute highlights a significant rift within the Republican party ahead of the November midterm elections, with prominent figures like former Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell joining Democrats in opposing the president's foreign policy move. The conflict underscores the tension between the administration's goal of lowering domestic energy costs and the legislative mandate to isolate Russia economically. Additionally, the deal has drawn criticism from Ukraine, with President Volodymyr Zelensky noting that Russia continued attacks on Ukrainian power plants despite Trump's claims of an energy ceasefire.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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