Twelve Senators Call on Trump to Cancel Russia Diesel Deal
Twelve senators, six Democrats and six Republicans, called on President Donald Trump on Oct. 13, 2026, to cancel his diesel supply agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The letter said the deal Trump struck with Putin on Oct. 9 "will not achieve just ends, nor will it benefit Americans." It called the agreement "a gift to our adversary and a betrayal of our allies" that "should be rescinded," according to NPR. Rescind is the legal term for formally canceling a deal.
Trump has said he struck a deal to obtain diesel from Russia. Under the terms he announced, Russia will supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel to the American and global market, followed by an additional 500,000 tons in November and one million tons immediately thereafter. Trump also said Russia will then deliver 3,000,000 tons of diesel fuel within a short period of time based on the condition of its diesel refineries.
Trump answered the criticism on Oct. 13. He said the diesel deal is "not for us" but is "being released into the world" for the world market because the world market suffered with high prices. Critics in the Senate said that distinction did not satisfy them.
The Democratic signers were Sens. Richard Blumenthal, Chris Coons, Dick Durbin, Jack Reed, Jeanne Shaheen and Sheldon Whitehouse. The Republican signers were Sens. Alan Armstrong, Susan Collins, John Cornyn, Mitch McConnell, Lisa Murkowski and Thom Tillis.
Their letter points to a law Congress passed in summer 2026. That law directs the president to place significant tariffs, or added taxes that make imports cost more, on the top importers of Russian oil. It targets Russian officials, companies and financial institutions helping fuel Russia's war in Ukraine. On Oct. 13, Shaheen and the bipartisan group called on Trump to rescind the Russian diesel deal and implement sanctions authorized by Congress on enablers of Putin's war against Ukraine, according to Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
The Oct. 13 letter followed two earlier Senate responses. On Oct. 9, Shaheen joined Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Elizabeth Warren in a joint statement slamming the diesel deal. That statement described Trump's announcement that the United States will allow global purchases of Russian diesel for six months as a total betrayal, according to Senate Foreign Relations Committee. On Oct. 11, Shaheen and six bipartisan senators issued a separate statement on the legality of imports of Russian diesel fuel.
The tonnage figures have been described in different terms. The account criticized in the twelve-senator letter was described elsewhere as involving 2.5 million tons of Russian diesel imports, according to Fox59.
The broader context here is enforcement and licensing. The dispute centers on two questions: whether tariff and sanctions laws passed by Congress require the president to act against facilitators of Russian energy sales, and whether a White House approval for global purchases can stand alongside limits on direct imports. The letter treats canceling the deal and carrying out those laws as linked steps, not separate options.
