US President Donald Trump is facing growing criticism over plans to import diesel from Russia, as the war involving Iran continues to push up global energy prices. Trump announced on Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to release 300,000 tonnes of diesel immediately “to the American and global marketplace”, with several other shipments to follow.
The move comes just weeks after Trump signed legislation authorising fresh US sanctions and tariffs on countries that import Russian oil and gas. Some Republican and Democratic lawmakers have criticised the plan, arguing that it breaks US laws.
Shipment schedule and doubts over supply
Trump said Russia would then supply 500,000 tonnes in November and one million tonnes after that. A further three million tonnes would follow within a short period, depending on the condition of Russian refineries, which Ukraine has attacked during the ongoing war between the two countries.
Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak confirmed these figures to Tass, the country’s state-owned news agency. He said export volumes could reach three million tonnes per month in future.
Analysts have questioned whether Russia can supply that quantity, and how far it would lower prices for American consumers. The US uses approximately 3.6 million barrels of diesel a day, so the 300,000 tonnes promised for this month would equal roughly half of US daily consumption.
Senators say the deal breaks US law
A group of seven senators, four Republicans and three Democrats, said on Sunday that the deal violated US laws and urged Trump to “reverse course”. The lawmakers said: “The United States should not provide Putin with a financial lifeline while Russia continues to kill Ukrainian civilians.”
They added that Congress had “explicitly banned Russian energy imports in 2022” to stop American dollars from financing Putin’s war against Ukraine. The statement was signed by Republicans Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Thom Tillis and John Curtis, and Democrats Jeanne Shaheen, Richard Blumenthal and Ron Wyden.
It is understood that the US Treasury is suspending sanctions on Russian diesel exports until 7 April as part of the deal. Other assets, such as those held in American banks, remain frozen.
Not everyone opposes the arrangement. Republican Thomas Massie, who has clashed with Trump on a number of issues, said the US should lift sanctions on all petroleum products. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News the agreement would work through existing legal channels and that anyone in Congress who said otherwise was wrong.
Midterm pressure and fuel prices at home
Global fuel prices have soared since the US-Israel war with Iran began at the end of February. The fighting has severely disrupted crude oil supplies, a key ingredient in petrol and diesel.
Rising prices have become a key issue for American voters ahead of next month’s midterm elections, which will determine whether Trump’s Republican Party keeps control of Congress. Polls show that most Americans disapprove of his handling of the economy and the war in Iran, and he has been looking for ways to ease his party’s political pain.
Agricultural states have felt the impact most sharply, as they rely heavily on diesel to run farm machinery and transport produce to market. The average diesel price in the US is currently $6.28 (£4.74) a gallon, according to the AAA, down from a record high of $6.53 at the end of September.
International criticism and an energy ceasefire claim
Opposition to the deal has also come from abroad. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting were among those who criticised it. Streeting said the US and other allies of Ukraine should focus on increasing pressure on Russia to end the war.
On Sunday, Trump announced that Russia and Ukraine had reached an “energy ceasefire”, but he did not provide further details. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the announcement, while Moscow has not responded.
