Bipartisan group of senators urges Trump to cancel Russian diesel deal

Twelve senators call for cancellation

Six Republican and six Democratic senators wrote to President Donald Trump on Tuesday, urging him to cancel a deal allowing Russia to export 4.8 million metric tons, or nearly 36 million barrels, of diesel through mid-April. CNBC+1

“This deal is a gift to our adversary and a betrayal of our Allies; it should be rescinded,” the lawmakers wrote. The White House did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment on the letter. CNBC

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Dispute over price relief

Trump announced the arrangement Friday after a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, claiming it would quickly and sharply lower record-high diesel prices. Oil analysts cited by CNBC said the additional supply would not be enough to make a meaningful difference. CNBC

The senators argued that Russian diesel exports would offer “limited to no relief to Americans.” They also said the revenue would finance Russia’s war and advance its security cooperation with China, Iran and North Korea. CNBC

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Republican opposition expands

Republican senators Thom Tillis, Susan Collins, Alan Armstrong, Lisa Murkowski, Mitch McConnell and John Cornyn signed the letter. The Democratic signatories were Richard Blumenthal, Jeanne Shaheen, Richard Durbin, Chris Coons, Sheldon Whitehouse and Jack Reed. CNBC

Collins, Murkowski and Tillis had already joined Democrats and Republican Senator John Curtis in a Sunday statement urging Trump not to give Putin a financial lifeline while Russia continued killing Ukrainian civilians. CNBC

The deal also drew criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump responded by saying Ukraine should get a new president. CNBC

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