Trump defends Russian diesel deal as senators urge reversal

President Donald Trump defended his diesel agreement with Russia on Monday, 12 October 2026, pushing back against criticism from Republican opponents of the deal. The arrangement, announced on 9 October 2026 after a phone call between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, would allow Russia to supply up to 4.8 million tons of diesel to US and global markets.bbc.co.uk+1

The deal matters because fuel prices have climbed ahead of the 3 November 2026 midterm elections, where Republicans face pressure over rising energy costs. Diesel and other fuel prices have risen since the United States launched military operations against Iran seven months ago. Trump has attributed much of the increase to Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil refineries.

Why the deal matters now

To enable the deal, the US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control issued General License 135 on 9 October 2026. The licence authorises the sale, delivery and import of Russian-origin diesel through 7 April 2027. The arrangement temporarily lifts US sanctions on Russian fuel, reversing restrictions intended to limit Moscow's revenue from its war against Ukraine.

What the licence authorises

The deal reverses restrictions tied to a 2022 law that limits Russian energy imports until Moscow ends its military aggression against Ukraine. Lawmakers have questioned whether the agreement conflicts with that law. Trump argued the agreement is necessary to reduce soaring fuel prices, writing on Truth Social: "I made the right choice for the American People – ALWAYS, AMERICA FIRST!"

On 11 October 2026, Republican Sens. Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Thom Tillis and John Curtis joined Democratic Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Richard Blumenthal in urging the administration to scrap the diesel deal. They said the administration had neither consulted Congress nor submitted the justification required by law.kyivpost.com

Senators from both parties object

Republican Senator Jerry Moran strongly opposed the decision, arguing Washington should increase economic pressure on Russia rather than ease existing restrictions. "We should be tightening sanctions further, not undercutting them by allowing the import of Russian diesel and risking erasing our leverage, damaging our credibility with allies, and emboldening our adversaries," Moran wrote.econotimes.com

The criticism is not limited to Congress. European allies and Ukraine have also condemned the arrangement. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said such an arrangement would favor Moscow, since Ukraine has one refinery while Russia has many. Zelensky described the deal as a "gift" to Putin. President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine held off striking Russian energy facilities after Trump announced an energy truce on 11 October 2026, while Russia kept attacking Ukraine's power grid. "As of now, there is no indication that Russia is complying with the conditions announced by the President of the United States," Zelensky wrote on Telegram.

Ukraine says Russia ignores truce

Trump has urged Ukraine to stop strikes on Russian oil infrastructure so Russia can fulfil the deal to release diesel to the US and global market.

The Kremlin has neither confirmed nor rejected the truce. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on 12 October 2026 only that contact on the matter was ongoing. A White House official said that the truce covers only oil refineries. Zelensky said in a Fox News interview that Ukraine did not strike any Russian energy facilities overnight because of Trump's announcement.

Trump claimed on Truth Social that the EU had covertly acquired Russian energy valued at $250 billion, but he did not specify the period or the source of the figure. He reiterated that he made the right choice striking a business deal with the Kremlin. The next dated event is the midterm elections on 3 November 2026, when Republicans face mounting pressure over rising energy costs and the diesel deal remains a point of dispute between the White House and lawmakers in both parties.