Republicans push back on Trump over Russia diesel deal and Ukraine
A small group of Republican lawmakers has publicly criticized President Donald Trump over his approach to Russia and Ukraine, after a deal to bring Russian diesel fuel into the United States and a pause on sanctions against Moscow.
Trump said Russia would supply diesel to the U.S. and to global markets, and his administration temporarily lifted U.S. sanctions on Russian fuel to allow it. Reuters Those sanctions were designed to deprive Moscow of revenue for its war on Ukraine. Trump also struck an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin to import Russian diesel, and waived sanctions imposed under legislation named for Sen. Lindsey Graham, which he had signed only a month earlier. The Guardian
The fuel arrangement drew bipartisan opposition in the Senate. A dozen senators, including six Republicans, called on Trump to rescind the diesel deal. Reuters Republican and Democratic senators separately urged him to reverse course on the supply agreement. Reuters
The sharpest criticism in the House came from Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, an outgoing Republican. Bacon accused Trump of cozying up to Putin, whom Bacon described as a "war criminal," and called Trump's handling of the Ukraine war "absolutely disgraceful." In other remarks, Bacon said Trump had "pitched his lot in with the dictator and the war criminal" and was "morally blind on this war." The Hill
Bacon said many Republicans he associates with "can't stand" Trump's handling of the war, and said Trump's leverage in Congress was shot. He warned that Trump's legislative agenda would be "dead" in the lame-duck session, the closing weeks of the current Congress, unless the administration shifted its position on Ukraine. The Hill Other Republican lawmakers were described as incensed about Trump's dismissal of Ukraine, with some threatening to derail key items during that period. Politico
Trump has in turn criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump claimed Zelenskyy "doesn't care" about the impact of Ukraine's strikes on Russia, and claimed Zelenskyy "doesn't want to end this war and probably never did" because Ukraine is receiving financial support from Europe. Trump also said it was "time for somebody else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine," suggesting Zelenskyy should step down.
Zelenskyy told Bloomberg he believed Trump was taking steps to "convince Ukraine to capitulate" to Russian demands. Former Republican senator and presidential candidate Mitt Romney said if the U.S. abandoned Ukraine it would also "abandon liberty."
