12 U.S. senators, including 6 Republicans, tell Trump to drop diesel deal with Russia
A bipartisan group of 12 U.S. senators has urged President Trump to rescind a deal to import Russian diesel. The lawmakers argue the agreement undermines sanctions, provides financial support for Russia's war in Ukraine, and offers negligible benefits to the U.S. economy.
Why it matters
The letter signals a rare and significant fracture in Republican support for Trump's foreign policy just weeks before the midterm elections.
The lawmakers' letter to Trump said the agreement provides Russian President Vladimir Putin's government with more fuel to finance its war, and will not benefit Americans, adding to a torrent of congressional criticism since Trump announced the deal on Friday.
The resistance marks a shift from what had been Republicans' near-unanimous support for Trump's foreign policy decisions, weeks before Nov. 3 midterm elections that will determine whether the party retains control of Congress.
Trump said Friday he was lifting sanctions on Russian diesel exports, and that Moscow would immediately supply more than 300,000 metric tons (2.25 million barrels) of diesel to U.S. and global markets.
Although Trump said he wanted to reduce prices, the amount he referenced is less than a day's supply for the U.S. transport sector alone, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration data, which shows daily use of around 2.94 million barrels per day.
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