U.S. senators challenge Trump deal for more than 300,000 tons of Russian diesel

Key Facts

U.S. senators challenged President Donald Trump's administration over its decision to allow Russian diesel imports, accusing it of failing to follow legally required procedures after the Treasury Department issued its license on October 9, 2026. The objection concerns a deal under which Trump announced Russia would immediately supply more than 300,000 metric tons of diesel to U.S. and global markets, according to Reuters. In a statement published by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the lawmakers said the administration had neither consulted Congress nor provided an explanation justifying its decision as required by law. Ron Wyden, Lisa Murkowski, Thom Tillis and John Curtis joined the statement. Trump defended the deal, saying, according to Reuters: "I made the right decision for the American people."

The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control issued General License No. 135, authorizing transactions involving Russian diesel. The authorization covers the sale and delivery of the fuel, according to the office's official text. It also extends to the unloading and import of cargoes, including imports into the United States. The license thus covers the stages of handling cargoes, from sale to unloading, as well as their entry into the U.S. market. The supplies announced by Trump are destined for U.S. and global markets, and the announced volumes do not all represent confirmed U.S. purchases.

The Ending Importation of Russian Oil Act sets out a process for ending the ban that includes consultation with congressional committees and submission of a report before the presidential certification required for that purpose. According to the law's text published on Congress's website, this step must precede submission of the certification by at least 45 calendar days. Among the certification's conditions is a presidential determination that Russia poses no immediate military threat of aggression against any member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The law states that termination of the ban takes effect 90 calendar days after the certification is submitted. This remains conditional on no joint resolution rejecting the presidential certification being enacted during that period.

The deal came after the average U.S. diesel price reached a record high of $6.52 per gallon on September 22, according to the Associated Press, citing the American Automobile Association. At the same time, the United States exports about 1.5 million barrels of diesel a day, according to Reuters. On Russian supplies, the Associated Press cited the International Energy Agency as saying diesel production had fallen by about 30%. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy linked higher fuel prices to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, according to remarks reported by Reuters. Zelenskiy rejected the view that strikes targeting Russian refineries were the main cause of rising diesel prices.

The deal was preceded by another U.S. measure concerning the availability of diesel for use on public roads, according to a White House fact sheet. The measure temporarily allowed dyed diesel, normally designated for off-road use, to be used in vehicles on public roads. It also included a deferral of the federal tax applicable to this fuel, according to the same statement. The executive order set October 5, 2026, as the start of the waiver period for penalties on the use of dyed diesel on public roads. In the market reaction to the announcement of the Russian deal on October 9, U.S. diesel futures fell about 5%, according to Reuters.

The supply schedule announced by Trump includes an additional shipment of 500,000 tons in November, according to the Associated Press. That will be followed by a shipment of 1 million tons that he said would arrive "immediately after that." He also announced the supply of an additional 3 million tons "within a short period," without specifying a more precise date for that shipment. The waiver period for the use of dyed diesel on public roads ends on December 31, 2026, according to the U.S. executive order. The authorization for Russian diesel transactions remains in effect until 12:01 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on April 7, 2027, according to the Treasury Department license.