President Trump faces bipartisan criticism over plan to import Russian diesel
A deal to import up to three million tonnes of diesel from Russia has drawn opposition from both Republican and Democratic senators, who say it may violate U.S. law and aid Russia amid the war in Ukraine.
President Donald Trump announced on Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to supply 300,000 tonnes of diesel immediately, with additional shipments of 500,000 tonnes in November, one million tonnes thereafter, and up to three million tonnes per month depending on refinery conditions. The plan is intended to lower fuel costs for American consumers, particularly farmers, ranchers and truckers, according to a post by Trump on Truth Social.
The United States Treasury is temporarily suspending sanctions on Russian diesel exports until 7 April to facilitate the deal, while other Russian assets remain frozen. Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak told the state news agency Tass that future export volumes could reach three million tonnes per month.
A bipartisan group of seven senators – Republicans Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Thom Tillis and John Curtis, and Democrats Jeanne Shaheen, Richard Blumenthal and Ron Wyden – issued a statement saying the arrangement appears to breach U.S. law and could provide a financial lifeline to President Vladimir Putin while Russia continues its war in Ukraine. > "The United States should not provide Putin with a financial lifeline while Russia continues to kill Ukrainian civilians," the senators wrote.
Republican Representative Thomas Massi argued that sanctions on all petroleum products should be lifted, while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News that the agreement operates within existing legal frameworks and that congressional critics are mistaken.
The proposal comes as global fuel prices have risen sharply since the conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States began in late February, affecting diesel costs that are a key concern for voters ahead of the upcoming midterm elections. Analysts note that even the initial 300,000-tonne shipment would cover only a fraction of the United States’ daily diesel consumption of about 3.6 million barrels.