Trump defends Russian diesel deal with Putin as senators from both parties object

U.S. President Donald Trump last week announced an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin under which Russian diesel would be supplied to markets. MercoPress dates the announcement to Friday. Members of both the Republican and Democratic parties have criticised the deal.

Over the weekend, a bipartisan group of U.S. senators publicly urged Trump to reverse course. In 2022, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Congress passed a law banning imports of Russian energy products. Weeks before the diesel deal, Trump signed into law a bill that tightens sanctions on Russia.

Diesel prices in the U.S. are high. The Hindu and MercoPress link the rise to the U.S. war with Iran. The Hindu attributes that assessment to energy experts. Fuel prices are an issue ahead of the midterm elections, which MercoPress says will be held on 3 November.

What is reported

According to MercoPress, the Treasury issued a licence that temporarily suspends sanctions on Russian diesel until April 2027. The Hindu says the Treasury did not immediately respond to a request for comment on 12 October.

According to The Hindu, the 2022 ban passed the House 414-17, with no senator opposed. The paper says the law lets the president seek to lift the ban if an agreement has been reached for Russian troops to withdraw from Ukraine and cease military activity. Such a proposal would need to be reviewed by Congress and to have been "accepted by the free and independent government of Ukraine".

The Hindu also reports that most provisions of the recent sanctions law, which would impose tariffs on countries still importing Russian oil, take effect on 18 October. It says their implementation now appears in question. According to The Hindu, energy experts say Russian diesel is unlikely to lower U.S. prices.

What is disputed

The Hindu describes six senators. MercoPress names seven: Republicans Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, Thom Tillis and John Curtis, and Democrats Jeanne Shaheen, Ron Wyden and Richard Blumenthal. MercoPress puts the volume at about 4.8 million tonnes; The Hindu reports Trump referred to "hundreds of tons". The outlets differ on whether the diesel goes to the U.S. or to global markets. Trump says Russia and Ukraine agreed to stop attacking each other's energy infrastructure. According to The Hindu, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Moscow has continued such strikes.

What each side says

The Hindu quoted Trump as saying: "Anything that could help our farmers, our ranchers, I like." It reported he said Republican critics "can't really be serious". Trump has also blamed Ukraine for high diesel prices.

The senators' statement, as quoted by MercoPress, said: "The United States should not provide Putin with a financial lifeline while Russia continues to kill Ukrainian civilians." According to MercoPress, Shaheen said the administration "appears to have bypassed both" consultation with Congress and a formal review. Sen. John Barrasso, the number two Republican, said the president "has to make tough decisions", MercoPress reported.

The Hindu quoted Rep. Lloyd Doggett, chief sponsor of the 2022 ban, as saying: "Trump is directly violating that law."

The reports reviewed by Vocemundi do not include the terms of the agreement or any statement from the Kremlin.

Analysis

The central question is legal as well as political: whether the deal fits within the 2022 import ban, which, according to The Hindu, sets out conditions linked to Ukraine under which the president can seek to lift the ban. The reports do not describe the administration's legal justification. Several paths are possible. The White House could set out its legal basis, Congress could seek a formal review, or the deal could be revised. Another open question is how the administration handles the sanctions-law provisions due on 18 October. The outcome may also depend on whether the deal affects fuel prices, which experts cited by The Hindu doubt.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.