Senate Democrats slam Trump’s “diesel deal” with Russia

Democratic leaders in the US Senate are denouncing US President Donald Trump’s deal with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin over diesel as an utter betrayal of Ukraine, European allies and US security. In a joint statement led by Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, they call it a desperate deal with a "murderous dictator. Some Republicans have also criticized the deal. Trump announced on Friday an agreement with Moscow to supply at least 300.000 tonnes of diesel to the US and global markets.

"President Trump’s announcement that the United States will allow global purchases of Russian diesel for six months is an utter betrayal of Ukraine, our European allies and US national security," the statement by Senate Democratic leaders said.

Joining Schumer in the statement were Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Elizabeth Warren, the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee.

Democratic leaders say Trump’s launching of a war with Iran has driven up fuel prices for all Americans and that the president is now "trying to clean up his mess with desperate deals with a murderous dictator". They accuse the Trump administration of turning to Russia, their greatest security threat, instead of working with Europeans, who have also been hit by soaring fuel prices. "In a desperate attempt to save Trump’s political prospects, he sold out Ukraine," they said of the US government’s move.

The Democratic leaders also said Trump must end the war with Iran instead of financing Russia’s war machine. "Putin only responds to strength, which means taking a hard line against Russia and those enabling its war against Ukraine," they added.

Some Republicans have also criticized Trump’s deal. Reuters cited Congressman Don Bacon, who said it was time instead to impose further sanctions recently approved by the US Congress. "And not reward a dictator by putting more money in his hands while he continues to attack and kill Ukrainian civilians," he said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whose country has faced a Russian invasion since February 2022, has strongly opposed Trump’s decision. On Friday, he wrote on X that easing sanctions against Russia without a clear and lasting agreement to de-escalate was an obvious sign of weakness. Zelenskyy said the deal would only allow Russia to kill more people and cause greater damage.

The Ukrainian president also stressed that a tough approach to Russia is needed and that the agreed sanctions under a US law named after the late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham must be implemented. The aim of the sanctions package is to put pressure on Russia and thereby force it to end the war.

Trump announced on Friday that he had agreed with Putin that Russia would immediately supply more than 300.000 tonnes of diesel to the US and global markets, with even larger shipments to follow in the coming months. Putin later said Russia was ready to supply oil and petroleum products to the US and global markets. He said the shipments would have a positive effect on the global economy.

Trump has recently blamed rising fuel prices on Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries. At the same time, he claims that the unpopular war with Iran, launched by the US and Israel at the end of February, is not responsible for rising prices. Kyiv defends its strikes on Russian refineries, saying they are intended to limit Moscow’s ability to finance its invasion. Ukraine has repeatedly said it is ready to reciprocate by scaling back attacks on Russia’s energy sector if Russia does the same.

Trump, whose Republican Party faces the risk of losing its majority in Congress in November’s elections, has also blamed Democrats for rising fuel prices. He says they are shutting down refineries in states they govern, including California.