Six senators call for Trump administration to 'immediately reverse
course' on Russian diesel plan
[October 12, 2026]
By KEVIN FREKING
WASHINGTON (AP) — A bipartisan group of six senators on Sunday called
for President Donald Trump's administration to “immediately reverse
course” on a plan to purchase diesel from Russia as part of an effort to
lower high fuel prices.
Trump shocked lawmakers when he announced on social media Friday that he
struck a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call. He
said Russia will immediately supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel to
the American and global market, followed by an additional 500,000 tons
in November and 1 million tons “immediately thereafter.” Russia will
deliver an additional 3 million tons “within a short period of time”
after that, he wrote.
Four Republican senators and two Democratic senators signed onto the
statement released Sunday in protesting the deal. They said the
administration failed to consult with Congress or submit any explanation
to justify its decision as required by statute.
“The United States should not provide Putin with a financial lifeline
while Russia continues to kill Ukrainian civilians. The Administration
must immediately reverse course,” they wrote.
The Republican senators who signed onto the statement are Sens. Susan
Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Thom Tillis of North
Carolina and John Curtis of Utah. The Democratic senators are Sens.
Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut.
Tillis, in an interview that aired Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press,”
said there's a legitimate case for saying the president is not following
the law if the administration goes through with its diesel purchase
plan.
“We were very clear that Russia is the aggressor. Russia is the one who
can end this war by backing out of territory that they occupied,” Tillis
said.
Trump's announcement came just a few weeks after Congress passed
legislation that directed Trump to impose substantial tariffs on the top
importers of Russian oil or natural gas, with an exception for countries
that import less than 15% of Russia’s natural gas exports and have taken
significant steps to reduce those imports.
The congressional effort was aimed at cutting the flow of money Russia
receives from oil and gas sales to finance its war against Ukraine.
The lawmakers also noted that Congress explicitly banned Russia energy
imports in 2022 to prevent the United States from financing the war.
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President Donald Trump speaks with reporters as he arrives on Air
Force One, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews, Md. (AP
Photo/Alex Brandon)
“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 six lawmakers wrote in their statement. “President Trump’s
decision to allow Russian diesel imports to the U.S. runs directly
counter to that law.”
Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said Trump is focused on reducing the cost
of energy when asked whether the president's action would be in
violation of U.S. law.
“The president is balancing and has to make tough decisions,” Barrasso
said on CBS's “Face the Nation.”
He also encouraged Trump to enforce the sanctions law that Congress
passed last month.
“This is just another point of leverage for the president to use against
Putin in an effort to get a long-term solution in that part of the
world,” Barrasso said.
Energy experts say the Russia deal is unlikely to make a dent in high
prices at the pump.
Richard Nephew, a senior research scholar at Columbia University’s
Center on Global Energy Policy, noted that the total amount of diesel
appears to be less than what the U.S. uses in a day.
Nephew argued that Iran and Russia might benefit more than the U.S.
“The Iranians are probably very excited because it shows that there’s a
lot of pressure still on the U.S. And the Russians are excited because
it puts a big hole in the sanctions regime,” he said.
Trump has recently sought to blame record U.S. diesel prices on Ukraine
rather than the U.S.-led war in Iran, which has elevated world energy
prices.
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Associated Press writer Mae Anderson in New York contributed to this
report.
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