A group of twelve U.S. senators, including six fellow Republicans of President Donald Trump, have urged Trump to revoke his recent deal with Russia for diesel oil. This call comes just before the deadline for the administration to decide on imposing new sanctions on Moscow due to its actions in Ukraine.
The senators expressed concern that the agreement would provide financial support to the Russian government for its military activities, without benefiting the American people. This move has drawn significant criticism from Congress since Trump’s announcement of the deal.
The pushback from these senators represents a departure from the usual strong support that Republicans have shown for Trump’s foreign policy decisions. The upcoming midterm elections on November 3 will play a crucial role in determining whether the Republican Party can maintain control of Congress.
Trump had announced on Friday that he was lifting sanctions on Russian diesel exports, allowing Moscow to supply over 300,000 metric tons of diesel to the U.S. and global markets. However, this amount is significantly less than the daily demand of the U.S. transport sector.
The senators described the deal as a “betrayal” of Ukraine and a gift to Russia, urging Trump to cancel it. The letter was signed by a bipartisan group of senators, including prominent Republicans and Democrats.
Under a recent law signed by Trump, he must decide by October 18 whether to impose extensive sanctions on Russian energy resources in response to the conflict in Ukraine. The senators called on Trump to enforce these sanctions as outlined in the law, named after the late Senator Lindsey O. Graham.
Several senators, including Collins, Murkowski, and Tillis, had previously joined Democrats in urging Trump to reverse course on the deal, citing violations of U.S. laws on energy imports from Russia.
In response to concerns about the deal benefiting Russia’s military capabilities, Trump stated that he had not been informed of such possibilities and emphasized the deal’s benefits for the U.S. and global markets. Meanwhile, Russian officials have indicated that they could increase diesel exports beyond the levels specified in the deal.
The Democratic senators who signed the letter emphasized the importance of standing against Russian aggression, highlighting the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine since the full-scale invasion by Russia in February 2022.
