Bipartisan US senators urge Trump to scrap Russian diesel deal

As of October 14, 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump faces criticism from bipartisan senators urging him to scrap a controversial deal with Russia that allows Russian diesel to enter global markets without sanctions. Initially, on October 9, Trump announced Russia would supply over 300,000 tons of diesel immediately, followed by an additional 500,000 tons in November and 1 million tons thereafter. The Treasury Department issued a temporary license easing sanctions on Russian diesel until April 7, 2027.

Critics argue that the deal bolsters Russia’s economy and aids President Vladimir Putin's war against Ukraine. Republican and Democratic senators penned a letter to Trump, stating that allowing Moscow to sell Russian diesel freely damages U.S. security interests and betrays Ukrainian defenders. They urged him instead to increase economic pressure on Russia through new sanctions powers approved by Congress in September.

Despite this opposition, Trump maintains the deal aims to stabilize global markets hit hard by high prices due to supply disruptions from the ongoing war with Iran, rather than directly benefitting the U.S. He insists that the revenue from these sales will have a negligible impact on fuel prices but acknowledges it could finance Russia's war machine and strengthen ties with China, Iran, and North Korea. The deal has also strained diplomatic relations between the U.S. and UK over differing stances on how to address Putin’s war in Ukraine.