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The diesel deal between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin has angered members of his own party, who have joined Democrats in saying the deal is against the law.
Seven senators, including four Republicans, on Sunday called on the US president to “immediately reverse course” on his deal to purchase millions of tons of diesel fuel from Moscow, calling it a “financial lifeline” for a murderous regime and a violation of US law.
“Congress explicitly banned Russian energy imports in 2022 to prevent U.S. dollars from financing Putin’s brutal war against Ukraine,” the senators, led by Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement.
“Congress has been clear: The United States should not import oil from Russia until it ends its aggression against Ukraine and ceases its threats against our NATO allies,” the senators said.
Not only does Trump’s decision go “directly against this law,” but he also failed to attempt to consult Congress before doing so, said Shaheen and fellow Democrats Richard Blumenthal and Ron Wyden, as well as Republican senators Susan Collins, John Curtis, Lisa Murkowski and Thom Tillis.
Trump announced the deal with Putin on Friday following what he called a “very fruitful discussion” with the Russian president. He touted the arrangement as likely to reduce fuel prices “for Americans, especially our big farmers, ranchers and truckers.”
But industry analysts doubt that importing Russian fuel will make a significant difference to U.S. consumers. Diesel prices have reached record highs in the months since Trump launched the war against Iran, severely limiting oil exports from the world’s largest oil-producing region.
Conflict-related price hikes and rising inflation in the United States have hurt Trump’s popularity and threaten Republican control of Congress when frustrated voters head to the polls for November’s midterm elections.
Collins, Murkowski and Tillis have previously criticized Trump’s apparent affection for Putin and his hostility toward Ukraine.
The deal also received unexpected reactions on the Fox News talk show. Fox and friendsa Trump morning favorite. Host Brian Kilmeade said Sunday that “it would be his administration’s biggest mistake to work with Russia. He is the modern Hitler of our generation.”
Kilmeade added: “Diesel fuel was shut down because Iran was blowing up oil from the Gulf states and their refineries, and now all of a sudden the focus is on Russia. »
Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn, who lost his primary election this year after Trump endorsed his opponent, cited Kilmeade’s remarks about X, writing, “Well done.”
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