Trump Defends Russian Diesel Deal With Putin as Senators Urge Reversal

Trump backs diesel deal

President Donald Trump defended his decision to allow Russian diesel imports despite backlash, saying in a Monday social media post that the European Union paid Russia 250 Billion Dollars for Energy and adding, "I made the right choice for the American People — ALWAYS, AMERICA FIRST!".

Trump also said he made the deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to immediately import 300,000 tons of its diesel fuel, with a promise that millions more are coming.

A bipartisan group of senators urged Trump to reverse course, writing, "The United States should not provide Putin with a financial lifeline while Russia continues to kill Ukrainian civilians. The Administration must immediately reverse course,".

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized the decision as an "obvious weakness," saying, "It plays into Russia’s hands -- allowing it to kill more, wage war for longer, have even less respect for America, and inflict even greater losses and damage on the world,".

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Congress splits over legality

The House and Senate criticism sharpened as Nancy Pelosi’s earlier warning that "All roads lead to Putin" echoed after Trump’s surprise announcement to import Russian diesel into the United States. William Taylor, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, said, "The harm to the Ukrainians is real," and added, "And the cost to us, the United States, is high."

Senate leaders argued the decision violates a 2022 law banning Russian energy imports, and the joint statement said, "The United States should not offer Putin a financial lifeline while Russia continues killing Ukrainian civilians." Trump rejected the criticism, telling reporters, "I think these are Republicans who can’t talk seriously," while he said, "I like anything that can help our farmers and ranchers."

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Ceasefire claims and next steps

Trump insisted that an energy ceasefire is in place for Ukraine and Russia, even as Zelenskyy said Moscow continued to strike Ukraine’s energy sites.

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported that Zelenskyy wrote, "news to me," and added that Russia had attacked Ukraine’s energy facilities and critical infrastructure.

The dispute also raised questions about how long the temporary easing would last, with the U.S. Treasury issuing a temporary license permitting transactions related to the sale, delivery, and import of Russian diesel into the United States until April 7, 2027.

Senators and House members pressed for reversal and cited the 2022 ban, while Rep. Lloyd Doggett said, "Trump is directly violating that law," and added that Trump "illegally rewards his friend Putin while once again blaming Zelensky for not capitulating to Putin."

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