Six GOP senators joined together with their Democratic opponents on Tuesday to rebuke President Trump’s recently announced diesel deal with Russia.
Senators Mitch McConnell, Thom Tillis, Susan Collins, Alan Armstrong, Lisa Murkowski, and John Cornyn signed a letter along with six Democratic senators in opposition to the deal, which waives sanctions on Russian diesel sold to the global market until April 2027 in exchange for 300,000 tons of diesel fuel to the American and global marketplace. Russia will get an opportunity to financially benefit from international oil sales while Americans get a bit of Russian oil before midterms.
“Granting Moscow the ability to sell Russian diesel freely in global markets damages American security interests and is a betrayal of the people of Ukraine, who continue to defend themselves from [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s murderous, illegal war,” the letter read, according to Reuters. “This deal is a gift to our adversary and a betrayal of our Allies; it should be rescinded.”
The letter urged Trump to follow the Russia sanctions bill he signed into law last month, in honor of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, which punishes countries that import Russian oil.
Democratic Senators Richard Blumenthal, Jeanne Shaheen, Richard Durbin, Sheldon Whitehouse, Jack Reed, and Chris Coons signed the letter.