Bipartisan senators press Trump to rescind Russian diesel export deal
by Lindsey McPherson · The Washington TimesA dozen senators, six from each party, are calling on President Trump to rescind a waiver of sanctions on Russian diesel exports.
The senators said Mr. Trump’s deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to temporarily lift the sanctions in exchange for Moscow supplying several million tons of diesel to the U.S. and global markets “will not achieve just ends, nor will it benefit Americans.
“Granting Moscow the ability to sell Russian diesel freely in global markets damages American security interests and is a betrayal of the people of Ukraine, who continue to defend themselves from Putin’s murderous, illegal war,” the senators wrote in a letter to Mr. Trump on Tuesday.
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“This deal is a gift to our adversary and a betrayal of our allies; it should be rescinded,” they said.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut Democrat, led the letter.
The others who signed it were Republican Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Susan Collins of Maine, Alan Armstrong of Oklahoma, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and John Cornyn of Texas; and Democratic Sens. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, Sheldon Whitehouse and Jack Reed of Rhode Island and Chris Coons of Delaware.
Mr. Trump has defended the lifting of restrictions on Russian diesel exports as an effort to lower fuel prices, but the senators said it “will offer limited to no relief to Americans.”
“It will have a negligible impact on fuel prices, but the revenues the Kremlin will receive from this agreement will undoubtedly finance its desired war of attrition and advance its security cooperation with China, Iran and North Korea,” the senators said. “It will also endanger service members operating overseas in support of Operation Epic Fury.”
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The senators and other lawmakers in Congress are especially frustrated by Mr. Trump’s deal because it goes against the spirit of a law they recently passed giving the president the ability to enhance sanctions against Russia.
The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, which Mr. Trump signed into law, authorizes the president to apply tariffs of up to 100% on countries that are among the top five purchasers of Russian oil and gas.
The idea is to put pressure on those countries to stop or reduce their purchases and cut off Russia’s key source of financing for its war against Ukraine.
The senators told Mr. Trump he should rescind his diesel export agreement with Mr. Putin and execute the authorities provided under the new law to “enhance your negotiating position to bring a swift end to this ruinous conflict.”
“Maintain our legacy — and the duty America holds — as leader of the free world,” they said.
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Mr. Trump was asked Monday, before the senators’ letter, about Republican pushback to lifting sanctions on Russian diesel exports. He defended the deal and offered no indication he would reverse course.
“I think these are Republicans that can’t really be serious,” he said. “We could do a restriction on oil, but the rest of the world would be greatly, greatly affected if we do that. And we could do a restriction, you know, a cap on diesel, keep it all for ourselves. That would have a very big impact.”
The president added: “Anything that could help our farmers, our ranchers, I like.”
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Lindsey McPherson
lmcpherson@washingtontimes.com
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