WASHINGTON – A bipartisan coalition of six U.S. senators has urged President Donald Trump to “immediately reverse course” on his administration’s controversial plan to purchase diesel fuel from Russia, a move aimed at alleviating soaring fuel prices across the nation.
Trump’s announcement, made via social media on Friday, took many lawmakers by surprise. In a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump claimed to have secured a deal whereby Russia would supply over 300,000 tons of diesel immediately, followed by 500,000 tons in November and an additional 1 million tons shortly thereafter. He also indicated that Russia could deliver an extra 3 million tons “within a short period of time” afterwards.
The bipartisan group, which includes four Republican senators and two Democrats, expressed their discontent in a statement released on Sunday. They highlighted that the administration neglected to consult Congress or provide a justification for this decision, which is typically required by law. “The United States should not provide Putin with a financial lifeline while Russia continues to kill Ukrainian civilians. The Administration must immediately reverse course,” they stated.
The Republican senators involved in this statement are Susan Collins (Maine), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Thom Tillis (North Carolina), and John Curtis (Utah). The two Democratic senators are Jeanne Shaheen (New Hampshire) and Richard Blumenthal (Connecticut).
In an interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Tillis stated that the president risks violating the law if the administration proceeds with the diesel purchase. He emphasized, “We were very clear that Russia is the aggressor. Russia is the one who can end this war by backing out of territory that they occupied.”
This development follows the passage of legislation by Congress directing Trump to impose substantial tariffs on the top importers of Russian oil and natural gas. Exceptions were made for countries importing less than 15% of Russia’s natural gas exports and taking significant steps to decrease those imports. This legislative effort was specifically designed to cut off the financial resources that Russia relies on to sustain its war against Ukraine.
Furthermore, the lawmakers pointed out that Congress had explicitly banned Russian energy imports in 2022, aiming to prevent the U.S. from inadvertently financing the war. “Congress was clear: the U.S. should not import oil from Russia until it ends its aggression against Ukraine and ceases threats against our NATO Allies,” the senators wrote. “President Trump’s decision to allow Russian diesel imports to the U.S. runs directly counter to that law.”
Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) defended Trump’s focus on reducing energy costs when questioned about the legality of the deal. “The president is balancing and has to make tough decisions,” Barrasso remarked on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” while also encouraging Trump to enforce the sanctions law passed by Congress in the previous month.
Energy experts, however, have expressed skepticism about the potential impact of the Russia deal on fuel prices. Richard Nephew, a senior research scholar at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy, indicated that the total amount of diesel involved is less than what the U.S. consumes in a single day. He noted, “The Iranians are probably very excited because it shows that there’s a lot of pressure still on the U.S. And the Russians are excited because it puts a big hole in the sanctions regime.”
In a broader context, Trump has recently attempted to attribute record diesel prices in the U.S. to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, rather than acknowledging the U.S.-led war in Iran, which has contributed to escalating global energy prices.
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Associated Press writer Mae Anderson in New York contributed to this report.
