Members of the Senate doubt the legality of the US-Russian diesel agreement
Amman2 min read
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Seven members of the US Senate from the Democratic and Republican parties issued a statement on Sunday questioning the legality of US President Donald Trump's move to ease sanctions on Russian diesel.
Trump announced on Friday that he had reached an agreement with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to allow Moscow to offer large quantities of diesel on the global market in exchange for easing some of the sanctions imposed on it. The move angered Ukraine, European allies, and several US lawmakers.
The statement from the Senate members read, "Congress banned Russian energy imports in 2022 to prevent American money from funding Putin's brutal war against Ukraine."
The statement added, "Congress was clear: the United States should not import oil from Russia until it ends its aggression against Ukraine and stops threatening our NATO allies."
The statement was signed by Democratic Senators Jeanne Shaheen, Richard Blumenthal, and Ron Wyden, and Republican Senators Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, John Curtis, and Thom Tillis.
They considered that "President Trump's decision to allow Russian diesel imports into the United States directly contradicts this law. Also, the administration did not consult with Congress and did not provide any justification for its decision as required by law."
The senators denounced the decision as giving "Putin a financial lifeline" while Russia continues to target Ukrainian civilians, calling on the Trump administration to "immediately reverse it."
In contrast, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin defended the agreement, saying in an interview on Fox News on Sunday, "We will proceed with all legal powers available to us."
