Trump’s Russia diesel deal is illegal, says bipartisan group of US senators

Seven US senators from both parties have issued a statement questioning the legality of President Donald Trump’s deal to allow Russian diesel exports despite a US ban in place since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Trump on Friday announced an agreement with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to release a massive quantity of diesel in exchange for temporarily easing US sanctions, a deal that drew a swift backlash from Ukraine, the EU and several American lawmakers.

The joint statement from the senators said: “Congress explicitly banned Russian energy imports in 2022 to prevent American dollars from financing Putin’s brutal war against Ukraine.

“Congress was clear: the US should not import oil from Russia until it ends its aggression against Ukraine and ceases threats against our Nato Allies.”

The statement was co-signed by Democratic senators Jeanne Shaheen, Richard Blumenthal and Ron Wyden, and four Republican senators: Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, John Curtis and Thom Tillis.