The key facts

  • 12 US senators (6 Democrats and 6 Republicans) on October 13 urged Trump to cancel the agreement on Russian diesel supplies.
  • On October 9 Trump announced an agreement with Putin: supplies of 300 thousand tonnes with subsequent increase to millions of tonnes.
  • The US Treasury issued a general license suspending sanctions against Russian diesel until April 2027.

Senators Demand Cancellation of the Russian Diesel Deal

According to DW, on October 13 a group of American senators led by Richard Blumenthal sent US President Donald Trump a letter demanding the cancellation of the agreement on Russian diesel fuel supplies to the American and global markets. The appeal emphasizes that Congress and the American people support ending the war in Ukraine, but peace must be established on fair terms.

The Senators' Arguments

The senators stated that lifting American sanctions against Russian diesel exports would provide Putin's war machine with additional funds and allow continued strikes on Ukraine's civilian population. "This agreement is a gift to our adversary and a betrayal of our allies. It must be rescinded," the letter says.

Doubts About Benefits for Americans

In the authors' view, American families suffering from expensive fuel will not feel any noticeable relief from the return of Russian diesel to the world market. In this regard, the senators urged Trump to increase economic pressure on Russia and on the countries helping to prolong the war, in particular China, using the powers granted by the law on sanctions against Russia and Iran.

Who Signed the Letter

The letter was signed by Democrats Richard Blumenthal, Jeanne Shaheen, Richard Durbin, Sheldon Whitehouse, Jack Reed and Christopher Coons, as well as Republicans Mitch McConnell, Thom Tillis, Susan Collins, Alan Stuart Armstrong, Lisa Murkowski and John Cornyn. Copies of the appeal were sent to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

The Essence of the Agreement and the Treasury's Actions

On October 9, after a phone call with Vladimir Putin, Trump announced that an agreement had been reached on supplies of Russian diesel fuel to the US and world markets. According to his statement, Russian companies must first ship more than 300 thousand tonnes, in November another 500 thousand tonnes, and then 1 million tonnes; a supply of another 3 million tonnes was also mentioned, but without specific deadlines. The US Treasury issued a general license suspending sanctions against Russian diesel until April 2027.