Bipartisan senators urge Trump to withdraw from Russia diesel deal

Mixed · 2A bipartisan group of 12 US senators wrote to President Trump on Tuesday 13 October, urging him to withdraw from his diesel deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin and rescind the move easing sanctions on Russia's energy sector. 1 2 Left · 1Trump announced the week before that Moscow would immediately release 300,000 tons of diesel, followed by millions more tons in the coming months, and the Treasury Department said it would temporarily waive sanctions to allow Russian diesel to reach the global market. 1 Mixed · 2The senators' letter, which dates the deal to 9 October, says the deal "damages American security interests and is a betrayal of the people of Ukraine" and calls it "a gift to our adversary and a betrayal of our Allies." 1 2

Mixed · 2The signatories were six Democrats (Richard Blumenthal, Jeanne Shaheen, Dick Durbin, Sheldon Whitehouse, Jack Reed and Chris Coons) and six Republicans (Thom Tillis, Susan Collins, Alan Armstrong, Lisa Murkowski, Mitch McConnell and John Cornyn). 1 2 Mixed · 2They acknowledged an "urgent need" to lower energy costs, which are high amid the war with Iran, but argued that Russian diesel on global markets would offer "limited to no relief to Americans" and have a "negligible impact on fuel prices." 1 2 Mixed · 2They said the revenue would instead help Russia finance its war of attrition and deepen security cooperation with China, Iran and North Korea; according to Anadolu Agency, they also warned it could endanger US service members deployed in Operation Epic Fury against Iran. 1 2

Centre · 1Anadolu Agency names the Treasury measure as General License No. 135, which the senators say gives Putin "more fuel to finance his war machine." 2 Mixed · 2The letter points to the Russia sanctions law Trump signed last month, which Anadolu names as the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026. The senators argue its authorities require the president to apply economic pressure on Russia and so strengthen his negotiating position, and they ask him to withdraw from the deal, rescind the waiver and use those authorities. 1 2 Mixed · 2The senators wrote that Americans support ending the Russia-Ukraine war but that a brokered peace "must be on just terms." Putin has said Russia "confirmed its readiness to supply oil and petroleum products to the American and global markets." None of the coverage reports a White House response to the letter; The National said the Treasury did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 1 3

Left · 1CBC News (carrying Reuters reporting) said the letter followed a torrent of criticism from Republicans as well as Democrats and marked a shift from Republicans' near-unanimous support for Trump's foreign policy, weeks before the 3 November midterm elections that will decide control of Congress. 4 Left · 1Trump, asked about the deal on Tuesday, sidestepped a question on whether Russia could use the proceeds to buy more bombs; Collins, Murkowski and Tillis had joined Democrats in a Sunday statement urging him to "reverse course". 4 Centre · 1The National added that the Graham Act lets presidents impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on major importers of Russian energy meeting specified criteria, that some elected officials question the legality of the Treasury licence, and that a 2022 law bars US imports of Russian energy unless a president consults Congress and observes a 90-day wait. 3

Centre · 1The National also reported that Trump said on Monday he does not "believe" Russia and China are helping Iran, though they may be doing so "at a very low level". 3