Just 21 days after enacting a law aimed at financially squeezing Russia, Donald Trump announced on Friday a deal with Vladimir Putin to import millions of tons of Russian diesel into the U.S. market, a decision that lawmakers from both parties described as contradictory to the spirit of the very legislation he signed, according to CNBC.
The announcement came via Truth Social, where Trump described the agreement as a resounding success: more than 300,000 tons of diesel immediately, an additional 500,000 tons in November, one million tons "immediately after," and potentially three million more, contingent on the state of the Russian refineries.
The total exceeds 4.8 million tons. To make this possible, the Department of the Treasury issued General License 135 from OFAC on the same day, which authorizes the sale, delivery, and importation of Russian diesel to U.S. territory until April 7, 2027.
The contradiction is hard to ignore: on September 18, Trump signed the Sanctions Act against Russia and Iran Lindsey O. Graham (H.R. 5334), which was passed with broad bipartisan support —86-11 in the Senate and 262-159 in the House— and whose stated purpose was to cut the revenue that funds Russia's war in Ukraine.
The law, named after the Republican senator Lindsey Graham —who passed away on July 11 at the age of 71 and was the main proponent of the initiative— authorizes tariffs of up to 500% on Russian imports and up to 100% against the five countries that purchase the most Russian oil or gas.
It also includes sanctions against banks, oligarchs, and the so-called "ghost fleet" used to evade energy restrictions.
The Republican representative Don Bacon (Nebraska), a retired brigadier general of the Air Force, was one of the first to point out the contradiction from within his own party. "We need lower diesel prices for American farmers, ranchers, and consumers, but buying Russian fuel is the wrong answer," Bacon wrote on X.
The congressman went further to explain the geopolitical logic behind the agreement: "Ukraine has been attacking Russian refineries because they fund Putin's illegal invasion. Putin seeks for the United States to pressure Ukraine to stop attacking those refineries".
His conclusion was straightforward: "Congress overwhelmingly approved the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctions Act, and President Trump signed it. Now is the time to use those sanctions to squeeze Putin's war machine, not to reward a dictator by putting more money in his hands while he continues to attack and kill Ukrainian civilians."
From the Democratic side, Senator Richard Blumenthal, co-sponsor of the Graham bill, stated that the agreement is "directly contrary to the intent of Congress" and makes the United States complicit in Putin's war. Senators Chuck Schumer, Jeanne Shaheen, and Elizabeth Warren labeled it a "betrayal" of Ukraine, European allies, and national security.
The energy context that Trump invokes as justification is real: the price of diesel in the United States surpassed six dollars per gallon for the first time on September 10, reaching $6.28 according to the American Automobile Association (AAA). Ukraine claimed to have put 51% of Russian refining capacity out of service, while the International Energy Agency estimated a 30% decline in Russian diesel production.
The decision comes, moreover, during the midterm election campaign, which several analysts point out as an additional political motivation to lower fuel prices before November.
The Ukrainian president Volodimir Zelenski also questioned the agreement, warning that facilitating Russian energy exports provides revenue to Moscow while the war continues.
Just a month earlier, Trump had asked Zelenski to stop the attacks on Russian refineries, arguing that they were driving up global fuel prices.
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