"Stop financing the Kremlin": senators lash out at Trump
Seven US senators from both parties demanded that Donald Trump cancel the permit for importing Russian diesel, saying it violates a 2022 law and fills Moscow's military budget. The group includes Republicans Collins, Murkowski, Tillis, Curtis and Democrats Shaheen, Blumenthal, Wyden. Trump announced the diesel supplies after talks with Putin, trying to lower prices before the elections.
Seven US senators from both parties demanded that President Donald Trump immediately cancel the permit for importing Russian diesel fuel. In a joint statement published by POLITICO, they claim Trump's decision violates a 2022 law banning imports of Russian energy carriers and effectively finances Moscow's military budget. The group includes Republicans Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Tom Tillis and John Curtis, as well as Democrats Jeanne Shaheen, Richard Blumenthal and Ron Wyden. Shaheen is the lead Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Trump announced the deal on Friday after talks with Vladimir Putin, saying Russia would supply hundreds of thousands of tons of diesel to the US and global markets. The US Treasury issued a general license for the imports, valid until April 2027. According to the publication, Trump is trying to lower fuel prices ahead of the midterm congressional elections — in September the average US diesel price reached $6.53 a gallon. Republican Senator Tillis had already expressed doubts about the legality of the deal on Sunday, recalling that the ban can only be lifted with a complete withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine. The White House responded by pointing to Trump's post about an "energy ceasefire," without providing evidence of Moscow's consent.