A group of Senators released a statement regarding President Donald Trump’s deal with Russia to release 800,000 tons of diesel over the next two months, demanding he “immediately reverse course.”
Senators from both sides of the aisle signed onto the statement opposing Trump’s announced deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin for Moscow to provide diesel to the United States in an effort to bring down gas prices sent upward by the Iran and Russia-Ukraine wars.
“The United States should not provide Putin with a financial lifeline while Russia continues to kill Ukrainian civilians. The Administration must immediately reverse course,” the senators wrote, according to the Associated Press.
Four Republicans and two Democrats penned the statement: Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), John Curtis (R-UT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT). While they caucus with Republicans, it is noteworthy that Collins and Murkowski have often spoken out against Trump’s initiatives, and Tillis, who is retiring, has become more critical of Trump in his final months in the upper chamber.
In their statement, the lawmakers said Trump’s deal for Russian oil violates a law passed by Congress in 2022 that prohibits the U.S. from purchasing Russian oil in order to ensure Americans aren’t funding Moscow’s aggression toward Ukraine.
“Congress was clear: the U.S. should not import oil from Russia until it ends its aggression against Ukraine and ceases threats against our NATO Allies,” the senators said. “President Trump’s decision to allow Russian diesel imports to the U.S. runs directly counter to that law.”
Tillis on Sunday told NBC’s Meet the Press that the deal puts American lives at risk because Putin’s administration has coordinated information sharing with Iran for years.
“Let’s not forget the cozy relationship that Putin has had with Iran over the years, up to and including when Soleimani was there,” Tillis said. “So look, these are bad people hanging out with bad people, putting American lives at risk, particularly our special operators and people forward deployed.”
Some other Republicans have noted how the deal contradicts a bill signed by the president intended to honor late Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham that sanctions Russia. The bill allows the president to levy tariffs of up to 100% on countries that buy Russia’s oil and gas in an effort to harm the country’s cash flow. Those buyers include China and India.
REPUBLICAN BACKLASH BREWS OVER TRUMP’S DIESEL DEAL WITH RUSSIA
Trump announced the deal on Friday and said Russia would “immediately” supply over 300,000 tons of diesel to the U.S. and global marketplace. Russia would then release 500,000 tons in November and 1,000,000 tons “immediately thereafter.”
The deal was met with sharp criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who said the agreement with Russia gives the country “more money for this war, more money to inflict suffering on us, without a doubt.”
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
