Energy Secretary says diesel waiver aims to pressure Russia to end war

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright defended President Donald Trump's recent decision to waive sanctions on Russian diesel during a Sunday interview on CNN's "State of the Union with Jake Tapper and Dana Bash." The waiver, issued through an executive order last week, lifts new sanctions, other restrictions and certain duties on Russia, allowing the country to export diesel that had been in short supply.

Wright said the move addresses both the global diesel shortage and Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine. > "President Trump waived sanctions just on diesel exports, and what's the one thing Russia has not been able to export over the last month or so? Diesel, because they're short of diesel," he said. He added that the only way Russia could increase diesel exports would be to reduce its war effort, describing the waiver as "an incentive to end the war."

President Trump posted on Truth Social that he is negotiating peace and does not want actions that would push Russia away from the bargaining table. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the waiver "seems wrong," and several U.S. lawmakers, including Republican Senator Thom Tillis, criticized the decision as contrary to a Senate-passed sanctions law.

The International Energy Agency has warned that the diesel shortage could persist until 2027, while higher diesel prices are contributing to rising shipping costs and consumer prices worldwide. Wright also told ABC's "This Week" that the waiver is part of President Trump's effort to find "innovative" ways to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict.