Senators Push Back, Urge Trump To Scrap Russian Diesel Deal
WASHINGTON, DC-Twelve US senators, including former Republican leader Mitch McConnell and Senate India Caucus co-chair John Cornyn, have urged President Donald Trump to rescind his Russian diesel deal and use new sanctions powers against Moscow and countries supporting its war effort, particularly China.
“This deal is a gift to our adversary and a betrayal of our Allies; it should be rescinded,” the senators wrote in a letter to Trump.
The letter was signed by Democrats Dick Durbin, Richard Blumenthal, Jeanne Shaheen, Sheldon Whitehouse, Jack Reed and Chris Coons, along with Republicans Thom Tillis, Susan Collins, Alan Armstrong, Lisa Murkowski, McConnell and Cornyn.
The senators challenged the Treasury Department’s General License No. 135, which they said “lifts sanctions on Russia’s diesel exports”.
“Granting Moscow the ability to sell Russian diesel freely in global markets damages American security interests and is a betrayal of the people of Ukraine, who continue to defend themselves from Putin’s murderous, illegal war,” the letter said.
They urged Trump to invoke the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, which he signed in September, to increase economic pressure on Moscow and countries supporting its war effort.
“These authorities require you to apply economic pressure on Russia and the chief enablers of its war, in particular China, and thereby enhance your negotiating position to bring a swift end to this ruinous conflict,” the senators wrote.
The letter does not mention India. The senators acknowledged the need to lower energy costs for American families amid the war with Iran but argued that the diesel deal would have little effect on fuel prices.
The latest appeal broadens Republican opposition to the deal. On October 11, seven senators led by Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member Jeanne Shaheen had urged the administration to reverse course. McConnell, Cornyn and Armstrong were not among the earlier signatories.
Trump defended the agreement on October 13 as he left the White House for a campaign trip to Alaska, saying it would help bring down global oil prices.
“It’s a deal for the world. It’s not a deal for us. It’s a way of getting a lot of oil out to the world. It’s not a deal with me. It’s a deal for the world, and it brought down prices,” Trump told reporters, according to a pool report.
Asked whether Russia would use diesel revenue to buy bombs, Trump replied: “Nobody told me anything. That’s a diesel deal, not for us.”
The Lindsey O. Graham Act allows the president to impose duties of up to 100 per cent on goods from countries that are among the largest buyers of Russian crude oil and make new purchases. The first duties under Section 113 can take effect from October 18.
The administration has not said whether India will face the duties or whether Trump will grant it a waiver.
Trump announced the diesel deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 9. The US Congress banned Russian energy imports into the country in 2022. (IANS)
