Russian diesel is headed for U.S. and global markets under a deal President Donald Trump announced after a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week, and a bipartisan group of senators wants it reversed, arguing it undercuts sanctions imposed in 2022.
Senators Say Deal Undercuts Sanctions
On Sunday, Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and John Curtis (R-Utah) said in a joint statement that Congress banned Russian energy imports to keep American dollars from financing Putin’s war with Ukraine, and argued the decision “runs directly counter to that law.”
“The United States should not provide Putin with a financial lifeline while Russia continues to kill Ukrainian civilians. The Administration must immediately reverse course.”
Trump’s announced Friday that Russia will immediately supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel to U.S. and international markets, part of larger deliveries he argued would push prices lower.
The announcement came weeks before the midterm elections on Nov. 3, with U.S. fuel prices near record highs.
Diesel averaged $6.2771 a gallon on Sunday, according to AAA, down from $6.3434 a week earlier but still about 71% above the $3.6688 a year ago.
Kamala Harris Says Deal Will ‘Do Nothing’ for Affordability
Former Vice President Kamala Harris blamed Trump and his war in Iran for high fuel prices, adding that buying fuel from Putin “reeks of weakness” and will help pay for Russia’s war but “do nothing” to make life more affordable.
“The American people deserve a leader who cares about them, and the Ukrainian people deserve allies who will stand by their side in the fight for a free, democratic, and independent nation,” Harris said.
Critics Warn Deal Props Up Putin’s War Machine
Former Vice President Mike Pence called the decision “a betrayal of the legacy and leadership of the late Senator Lindsey Graham,” who he noted fought “to his last breath” to enact tough sanctions on Russia.
Pence urged Trump to rescind the deal “immediately” and to impose harsh sanctions on any nation buying Russian energy, arguing that “America should not be throwing a lifeline to Putin’s war machine.”
Chess grandmaster and political activist Garry Kasparov called the diesel deal, energy talks, and peace negotiations between Trump’s circle and “Putin’s mafia” a “charade” aimed at “laundering money” and lifting sanctions.
Thomas Massie Welcomes Sanctions Relief
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) welcomed the move, noting that he voted against Russia sanctions in 2022 because Americans would “suffer from higher prices.”
“Glad to see Trump came around to that reality this week,” he said, adding that the U.S. should lift sanctions on all petroleum products and on raw metals like copper and aluminum.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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