Senators from both parties ask Trump to abandon Russian diesel import deal
Seven senators say the arrangement violates a 2022 ban and that the administration failed to consult Congress.
A bipartisan group of seven U.S. senators has asked President Donald Trump to abandon his administration's agreement to import Russian diesel, saying the move violates a 2022 law that barred energy imports from Russia while its aggression against Ukraine continues.
Senators point to legal and consultative failures
In a joint statement, the senators — four of them Republicans — said, "Congress explicitly prohibited the import of Russian energy in 2022 to prevent American dollars from financing Putin's brutal war against Ukraine." They added that the administration did not consult Congress or provide the explanation required by law for such a decision.
"The United States should not provide financial relief to rescue Putin while Russia continues to kill Ukrainian civilians. The administration must immediately change course," the senators said.
President Trump announced Friday that Russia had agreed to release diesel onto global markets and that his administration had temporarily waived U.S. sanctions on Russian fuel. The move comes as diesel prices hover near record highs — a dynamic that, according to analysts and party strategists, could harm Republicans in next month's U.S. midterm elections.
Trump said Putin agreed to immediately free 300,000 tonnes of diesel for the American and global market, followed by a delivery of 500,000 tonnes in November and another 1 million tonnes thereafter. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sharply criticized the deal, calling it a gift to Putin and an investment in his war against Ukraine.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the Trump administration will implement the agreement using existing legal authorities and argued that the deal is good for the American people and will reduce prices.
Photo: AP)
