Senators say deal contradicts Russia sanctions law passed this summer
Trump announced the diesel agreement with Putin last week in a social-media post, writing that Russia would supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel to “the American and global market.” The post added that an additional 500,000 tons would follow in November and one million tons “immediately thereafter.” Trump further wrote that, “based on the condition of their Diesel Refineries, Russia will then deliver, within a short period of time, 3,000,000 Tons of Diesel Fuel.”
Lawmakers, who had passed legislation this summer directing the president to impose significant tariffs on the top importers of Russian oil, objected to the deal. Those sanctions are aimed at targeting Russian officials, companies and financial institutions helping fuel Russia’s war in Ukraine. The legislation was named in memory of the late GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham, who helped negotiate Trump’s support for the package.
In their letter Tuesday, the senators said they recognized the need to lower energy costs for Americans but maintained that allowing Russian diesel into global markets would offer “limited to no relief to Americans.” They wrote that “the deal you struck with President Vladimir Putin on October 9th will not achieve just ends, nor will it benefit Americans.”
The letter added that the arrangement “only provides Putin with more fuel to finance his war machine and enables Russia to continue its brutal attacks on Ukrainian civilians.” Senators wrote directly: “This deal is a gift to our adversary and a betrayal of our allies; it should be rescinded.”
When asked about the letter, the White House referred back to comments Trump made to reporters on Tuesday addressing concerns that Russia would use proceeds from the diesel agreement to purchase weapons. Trump defended the agreement as a release of diesel onto world markets rather than to the United States. “Nobody’s telling me anything,” Trump said. “That’s a diesel deal. Not for us. That’s being released into the world. That’s not being released to us. That’s a diesel deal that’s going to be released into the world for the world market, because the world market suffered with high prices.”
The letter was signed by Democrats Richard Blumenthal, Chris Coons, Dick Durbin, Jack Reed, Jeanne Shaheen, and Sheldon Whitehouse. Republicans signing were Alan Armstrong, Susan Collins, John Cornyn, Mitch McConnell, Lisa Murkowski, and Thom Tillis.