12 US senators have called on Trump to scrap diesel deal with Putin: "It is gift to enemy and betrayal of our allies"
Twelve senators from the Republican and Democratic parties have called on US President Donald Trump to withdraw from the agreement with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin regarding Russian diesel fuel. In a cross-party letter, they described the deal as "a gift to our adversary and a betrayal of our allies".
This is reported by The Hill, according to Censor.NET.
Who signed the letter?
The letter, dated 13 October and signed by six Republicans and six Democrats, was published by Axios journalist Andrew Solender.
- Among the Republicans: former Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, John Cornyn, Alan Armstrong, Tom Tillis, Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins.
- Among the Democrats: Richard Blumenthal, Jeanne Shaheen, Dick Durbin, Sheldon Whitehouse, Jack Reed and Chris Coons.
McConnell and Cornyn, in particular, called the deal a serious mistake and referred to a 2022 law prohibiting such imports without notifying Congress.
"The agreement you reached with Vladimir Putin on 9 October will not advance just causes nor benefit the American people," the politicians stated.
"This will fund a war of aggression"
According to the authors of the letter, easing sanctions on Russian diesel exports will only give Putin more funds to finance his war machine and allow Russia to continue its brutal attacks on Ukrainian civilians.
The senators acknowledged that Trump is seeking to lower diesel prices, which reached a record high of $6.53 per gallon last month. At the same time, they emphasised that the impact of Russian imports on US prices would be minimal.
"Allowing Russian-sourced diesel fuel onto global markets will bring Americans only slight relief, if any at all. It will have little impact on fuel prices, but the revenue the Kremlin will receive from this deal will undoubtedly finance its war of aggression and contribute to deeper security cooperation with China, Iran and North Korea," the letter states.
The signatories also suggested that the deal could ultimately put American troops participating in Operation Epic Fury – that is, in the war with Iran – at risk.
What they are demanding
The senators recalled that last month, Congress passed – and Trump signed – the late Lindsey Graham’s bill on sanctions against Russia and Iran. The legislation empowers the president to increase economic pressure on Russia and its trading partners, notably China, in order to strengthen the negotiating position for ending the war in Ukraine.
"For decades, America has been a bastion of freedom in the fight against tyranny, and American presidents have embodied our country’s resistance to tyrants. Putin is a tyrant. Withdraw from this agreement, revoke General Licence No. 135 and exercise the powers provided for in the Lindsey Graham Act on sanctions against Russia and Iran," the senators urged.
This refers to a general licence issued by the US Treasury Department, which eases sanctions restrictions on Russia.
Blumenthal’s statement
Commenting on the letter on X, Blumenthal emphasised that a policy of appeasement encourages Putin to ignore serious peace talks.
"The first test of readiness for peace talks is whether Putin will honour a ceasefire regarding energy infrastructure. Zelenskyy has agreed to it. Putin continues to bomb. He is once again making a fool of Trump and hopes to use the cold winter as a weapon against Ukraine," the politician stated.
