A bipartisan group of seven US senators has urged Donald Trump to abandon his plan to allow Russian diesel into the American market, warning that the arrangement could breach legislation designed to cut off funds for Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.
The senators said the administration had failed to consult Congress or provide the explanation required by law before easing restrictions on Russian energy imports.
“The United States should not provide Putin with a financial lifeline while Russia continues to kill Ukrainian civilians,” they said in a joint statement. “The Administration must immediately reverse course.”
The statement was signed by Republicans Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Thom Tillis and John Curtis, and Democrats Jeanne Shaheen, Richard Blumenthal and Ron Wyden.
Mr Trump announced on Friday that Russia would release more than 300,000 tonnes of diesel immediately, followed by a further 500,000 tonnes in November and 1 million tonnes in December. He said an additional 3 million tonnes could be delivered shortly afterwards.
The announcement followed a phone call between Mr Trump and Mr Putin. The US Treasury also temporarily waived sanctions on Russia’s energy sector to allow Russian diesel to reach global markets.
Senators challenge legality of Russian diesel imports
Congress banned Russian energy imports in 2022 after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with the aim of preventing American money from helping to finance the Kremlin’s war effort.
The senators said Mr Trump’s decision ran directly against that prohibition, which they said was intended to remain in force until Russia ended its aggression against Ukraine and stopped threatening Nato allies.
Mr Tillis told NBC’s Meet the Press that there was a “legitimate case” that the president would not be following the law if the diesel plan proceeded.
“We were very clear that Russia is the aggressor,” he said. “Russia is the one who can end this war by backing out of territory that they occupied.”
Mr Barrasso, the Republican Senate whip from Wyoming, defended the administration’s approach, saying Mr Trump was trying to reduce energy costs while seeking an end to the conflict.
“The president is balancing and has to make tough decisions,” Mr Barrasso said on CBS’s Face the Nation. He argued that the separate sanctions legislation recently passed by Congress could give Mr Trump additional leverage over Moscow.
Energy analysts have questioned whether the proposed supplies would significantly reduce prices. Richard Nephew, of Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy, said the total volume appeared to be less than the amount of diesel used by the United States in a single day.
Mr Nephew said Russia could gain more from the arrangement than American consumers, as it would create a sizeable opening in the sanctions regime while doing little to ease prices at the pump.
