Six Republican senators joined their Democratic colleagues in a Tuesday letter opposing President Donald Trump’s deal with Russia over diesel exports, in a rare GOP stand against the administration.
Sens. Mitch McConnell (Kentucky), Susan Collins (Maine), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Alan Armstrong (Oklahoma), Thom Tillis (North Carolina) and John Cornyn (Texas) signed the message rebuking Trump’s Oct. 9 agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin to suspend American sanctions designed to block sales of Russian diesel.
Lifting the sanctions “will not achieve just ends, nor will it benefit Americans,” reads the letter, which was also signed by six Democrats, including Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, who is expected to chair the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee if his party takes over Congress’ upper chamber next year.
“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. This deal is a gift to our adversary and a betrayal of our Allies; it should be rescinded,” the message continues.
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Trump has said the deal will address the record-breaking spike in fuel prices, particularly diesel. The Trump administration’s war on Iran spurred retaliation that has disrupted the normal flow of oil and gas out of the Middle East.
But experts are doubtful that Russia’s promises to supply the U.S. with diesel in the coming months will significantly ease the price shock. And Washington has deflected calls to ease tensions with Iran and cast blame elsewhere — particularly on Ukraine, which has targeted Russian energy infrastructure in its effort to pressure Putin to respect Ukrainian sovereignty.
Congress passed legislation in September to tighten American sanctions on both Iran and Russia, which Trump signed into law. International law professors Michael Schmitt and Ryan Goodman said in a Tuesday article in a law and policy journal that the diesel deal “undermines” those sanctions and may represent the U.S. helping Russia in its “unlawful use of force.”
Trump maintains he is not abandoning Ukraine, which the U.S. has supported to varying degrees since Russian incursions into its territory in 2014 and 2022.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, the president said the U.S. has not stopped sharing intelligence with Kyiv.
“We help them, but we’re really helping them get to a final answer. We want the war ended,” Trump said. “We’re working with them and with Russia on getting the war to end.”
The president has suggested Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is an obstacle to a Russia-Ukraine compromise and should be replaced, spurring backlash from European allies of the U.S. and Ukraine. Over the weekend, the Financial Times reported that U.S. officials had threatened to slow American weapons shipments for Kyiv unless Ukraine stops targeting Russian energy facilities.
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