President Donald Trump is facing significant bipartisan opposition following his announcement of a deal to import diesel fuel from Russia. The arrangement comes amid rising global energy prices triggered by the ongoing war between Israel and Iran, which began in late February.
Under the terms of the agreement, Russia has committed to an initial release of 300,000 tonnes of diesel “to the American and global marketplace.” Further shipments are scheduled to include 500,000 tonnes in November and one million tonnes subsequently. An additional three million tonnes could follow “within a short period,” provided that Russian refineries—which have faced Ukrainian strikes—remain functional. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak confirmed these figures to state-owned agency Tass, suggesting exports could eventually hit three million tonnes monthly.
President Trump defended the initiative on Truth Social, stating that lowering costs for American farmers, ranchers, and truckers remains his “Greatest Priority.” To facilitate these imports, the US Treasury is reportedly suspending sanctions on Russian diesel until 7 April, though other Russian assets in domestic banks remain frozen.
The announcement has drawn sharp criticism from a coalition of seven senators, including Republicans Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Thom Tillis, and John Curtis, alongside Democrats Jeanne Shaheen, Richard Blumenthal, and Ron Wyden. In a statement on Sunday, the group argued that the deal violates federal law and urged the President to “reverse course.”
The lawmakers emphasized that Congress explicitly prohibited Russian energy imports in 2022 to stop American capital from funding the war in Ukraine. “The United States should not provide Putin with a financial lifeline while Russia continues to kill Ukrainian civilians,” they stated, describing the agreement as a direct contradiction to existing sanctions legislation. They added that Congress had “explicitly banned Russian energy imports in 2022 to prevent American dollars from financing Putin’s brutal war against Ukraine”.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has also condemned the development, labeling the deal a “gift” to Vladimir Putin. He asserted that the trade arrangement effectively acts as “an investment in a war that must be ended.”
The backlash is particularly notable as it arrives only weeks after Trump signed legislation authorizing new tariffs and sanctions on countries that import Russian oil and gas, creating a visible tension between his administration’s legislative actions and his current fuel procurement strategy.
