Seven Senators Urge Trump to Cancel Diesel Deal with Russia
A group of four Republicans and three Democrats said the diesel supply deal with Russia may violate a U.S. ban on energy imports and called for its immediate withdrawal.
Seven U.S. senators from both parties on Sunday urged President Donald Trump to immediately withdraw from a diesel supply deal with Russia, saying the agreement may violate a U.S. law that bars energy imports until Russia ends its aggression against Ukraine.
In a joint statement the lawmakers said the group includes four Republicans and three Democrats, and noted that Congress in 2022 imposed a ban on energy imports from Russia to prevent the use of the dollar to finance the war Moscow is waging on Ukraine.
The statement added that the administration did not consult with Congress nor provided an explanation for its decision on the deal, a procedure required by law, warning that moving forward with it would give Russia a financial lifeline while killings of Ukrainian civilians continue. The lawmakers called on the administration to change course and cancel the deal immediately.
The demand came as criticism from members of both parties of the deal marked a shift from the near-unanimous support Mr. Trump’s foreign policy decisions had enjoyed weeks before the midterm elections scheduled for November 3, which will determine whether Republicans retain control of Congress.
The senators who signed the statement are Republicans Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Tom Tillis of North Carolina, and John Curtis of Utah, and Democrats Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, and Ron Wyden of Oregon.
Senator Tom Tillis previously said that Mr. Trump’s diesel deal could be illegal and could put Americans’ lives at risk, and noted that he is scheduled to leave the Senate when his term ends next January.
Mr. Trump said that Russia agreed to supply diesel shipments to global markets and that his administration temporarily lifted U.S. sanctions on Russian fuel — sanctions that had been intended to reduce Moscow’s revenues to fund its war on Ukraine.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in media remarks that the Trump administration will implement the diesel agreement with Russia using the legal authorities available to it, stating that the deal is in the interest of the American people and will lower prices, and responding to critics in Congress that implementation will proceed under available legal powers.
