A group of twelve U.S. senators, which includes six Republicans who are colleagues of U.S. President Donald Trump, have urged the president to withdraw his agreement with Russia on the purchase of diesel oil. They argue that this deal will help fund Russia’s war on Ukraine and will not be advantageous for Americans.
The senators’ letter criticizing the diesel agreement adds to the growing disapproval from both Republicans and Democrats. This marks a departure from the previous strong support by Republicans for Trump’s foreign policy decisions, especially with the upcoming midterm elections on November 3 that will impact the control of Congress.
In the letter, the lawmakers emphasized that allowing Moscow to freely sell Russian diesel globally harms American security interests and undermines the defense efforts of the Ukrainian people against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aggressive actions. They asserted that the deal benefits Russia at the expense of American allies and should be revoked.
The letter, dated Tuesday, was endorsed by prominent Republicans such as Mitch McConnell, Thom Tillis, Susan Collins, Alan Armstrong, Lisa Murkowski, and John Cornyn, along with six Democratic senators. Additionally, Collins, Murkowski, and Tillis had previously joined Democrats in a united statement urging Trump to reconsider the agreement due to its conflict with U.S. regulations prohibiting energy imports from Russia as long as it continues its hostilities against Ukraine.
When questioned about the diesel deal, President Trump avoided directly addressing concerns about whether Russia might utilize the proceeds to acquire additional weaponry. Democratic senators, including Richard Blumenthal, Jeanne Shaheen, Richard Durbin, Sheldon Whitehouse, Jack Reed, and Chris Coons, also signed the letter issued on Tuesday.
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine escalated into a full-scale invasion by Russia in February 2022, leading to ongoing warfare between the two nations.