US lawmakers challenge Trump diesel fuel concessions to Russia

The art of Trump – making deals with the Russians, US lawmakers challenge diesel fuel concessions

US lawmakers are pressing the administration of President Donald Trump for formal explanations and preparing legislative blocks following a policy shift on Russian energy imports, UNIAN reported. The friction centers on an October 9 Treasury Department decision allowing transactions involving Russian diesel fuel and its import into the United States.

Democratic and Republican legislators argue the move undermines existing statutory bans and weakens Ukraine’s defense capabilities. Senator Adam Schiff criticized the agreement on X, noting that the arrangement delivers concessions to the Kremlin while offering negligible economic relief to American drivers. According to Schiff, the deal provides the United States with less than a single day’s worth of diesel fuel consumption.

Lawmakers Introduce the Ronald Reagan Peace Through Strength Act

Representative Brian Fitzpatrick, joined by colleagues Don Bacon and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, introduced the Ronald Reagan Peace Through Strength Act of 2026 to counter the administration’s actions. The legislation directly targets General License No. 135, issued by the Treasury Department on October 9, which permitted certain operations with Russian diesel fuel. Fitzpatrick stated that Congress must enforce the 2022 federal ban on Russian energy imports to prevent funds from flowing toward the war in Ukraine.

The proposed bill outlines three main enforcement measures. It repeals General License No. 135 and bans future exemptions for Russian energy imports, restricts Treasury Department budget funds from being used to facilitate transactions that violate the 2022 ban, and mandates that intelligence agencies maintain defense support for Ukraine while notifying congressional committees within 24 hours if that support stops. Congress must curb the president’s outrageous appeasement of Putin, Bacon said regarding the administration’s approach.

Starlink Access and Congressional Demands for Elon Musk

Simultaneously, US legislators are pursuing answers from SpaceX CEO Elon Musk regarding who authorized communication limits on Ukrainian terminals and whether the decisions involved consultations with Trump or Russian representatives. Senator Richard Blumenthal initiated an inquiry demanding written responses from Musk by November 5. Republican Senator Thom Tillis also called for accountability on social media, writing that anyone handing Putin a more vulnerable Ukraine should own the decision.

More on this story: Russia's Nowak: First 40,000-Ton Diesel Tanker to Go to USA

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