A group of seven US senators—four Republicans and three Democrats—issued a joint statement accusing President Donald Trump’s administration of violating federal law by allowing the import of Russian diesel fuel. The lawmakers demanded that the decision be immediately reversed.
In the statement, published on Sunday, the senators recalled that in 2022 Congress passed a law banning the import of Russian energy resources. The ban was intended to prevent American dollars from financing “Putin’s brutal war against Ukraine.” “Congress was clear: the US should not import oil from Russia until it ends its aggression against Ukraine and ceases threats against our NATO Allies,” the document says. According to the authors, Trump’s decision “runs directly counter to that law.”
The senators also pointed out that the administration failed to consult with Congress or submit any explanation to justify its decision as required by statute. “The United States should not provide Putin with a financial lifeline while Russia continues to kill Ukrainian civilians. The Administration must immediately reverse course,” the lawmakers stressed.
The statement was signed by Democrats Jeanne Shaheen (New Hampshire, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee), Richard Blumenthal (Connecticut) and Ron Wyden (Oregon), as well as Republicans Susan Collins (Maine), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Thom Tillis (North Carolina) and John Curtis (Utah).
The ban on Russian energy imports has been in effect since March 2022, following the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Several weeks ago, Congress also passed a sanctions law against Russia and Iran that expands the president’s authority to pressure Moscow.
