Several Republican lawmakers on Saturday expressed opposition to a new energy agreement between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin that allows the importation of Russian diesel. The White House arrangement seeks to address rising energy costs fueled by global shortages during U.S. military operations against Iran and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. Under the deal, Russia will immediately supply 300,000 tons of diesel, with further deliveries of 500,000 tons in November and 1 million tons scheduled thereafter.
The Treasury Department issued a temporary license on Friday, October 9, to waive existing sanctions and permit the flow of Russian-origin diesel to global markets. This decision followed the September signing of the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, which aimed to increase economic pressure on Moscow. In response to the waiver, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) introduced the Ronald Reagan Peace Through Strength Act on Saturday to block the president from lifting these sanctions. Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) signed on as a co-sponsor, stating that while lower prices are needed for farmers, "buying Russian fuel is the wrong answer."
Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) said on Friday he supported efforts to lower fuel costs but did not "support his decision to import it from Putin," whom he described as a "butcher." Former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI) suggested a temporary export ban instead of imports to provide relief during the harvest. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) both stated the deal could fund the Kremlin’s military efforts. Murkowski argued the president should use existing authorities to cut off Russian revenue until the war ends.
The disagreement within the Republican party creates a legislative challenge for the White House just weeks before the midterms. If Rep. Fitzpatrick’s bill gains further bipartisan support, it could force a vote to reinstate the sanctions that the Treasury Department just waived. In the meantime, the deal permits a total planned delivery of several million tons of diesel, though analysts like Tom Kloza of Gulf Oil cautioned that drone damage to Russian refineries may limit Moscow's actual ability to meet these supply volumes.
President Trump defended the deal on Saturday, October 10, as he departed for Tennessee, suggesting that Ukraine should seek a "new leader" to negotiate an end to the war. He attributed high diesel prices to Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries and stated the U.S. had previously urged Ukraine to stop such attacks. What happens next depends on the pace of the scheduled Russian deliveries and the progress of the Ronald Reagan Peace Through Strength Act in the House of Representatives. No specific hearing dates for the new legislation have been reported.