Donald Trump’s newly announced diesel fuel agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin has put Republicans on the defensive, forcing them to explain the deal to voters ahead of the midterm elections.
US diesel prices surged to a record $6.53 per gallon last month before easing to $6.28, according to AAA.
Gasoline prices also climbed to $4.50 per gallon last month, then slipped to $4.34 on Tuesday. The previous record for regular gasoline was slightly above $5 per gallon, reached in June 2022.
The spike has affected more than household budgets. Higher fuel costs have also driven up the price of goods by making shipping and transportation more expensive.
With rising fuel prices emerging as a potential liability for Republicans before the November 3 midterm elections, Trump unveiled what he described as a cooperative US-Russia agreement aimed at reducing costs.
The announcement quickly drew fierce criticism from Republicans and Democrats in Congress, who argued that the arrangement could help finance Russia’s war in Ukraine, violate existing US law and deepen ties between the Putin and Trump administrations.
“The United States should not provide Putin with a financial lifeline while Russia continues to kill Ukrainian civilians,” seven senators, including four Republicans, said in a joint statement on Sunday.
The statement was signed by Republican Senators Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, John Curtis of Utah and Thom Tillis of North Carolina.
President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin announced an agreement on US-Russia oil exports on Friday, prompting an immediate backlash from lawmakers in Trump’s own party
US gasoline and diesel prices have risen amid the US war with Iran and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, putting further pressure on global oil supplies
Recent Russian and Ukrainian attacks on energy infrastructure have added to instability in both countries and disrupted global gas exports
Trump responded defiantly on Monday, defending the agreement in a social media post: “I made the right choice for the American People — ALWAYS, AMERICA FIRST!”
In the same message, the president accused the media of failing to give enough attention to other countries that have continued buying Russian oil.
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“The European Union paid Russia 250 Billion Dollars for Energy, and the Fake News Media doesn’t want to get near that story,” Trump wrote.
Trump did not explain the source of the figure, although it broadly aligns with some estimates that show the EU has bought at least $239 billion in Russian energy since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
The US-Russia diesel agreement followed a phone call between Trump and Putin on Friday. Under the arrangement, the administration would issue temporary licenses permitting Russian diesel imports into the United States for six months.
“While I understand the desire to bring down diesel prices, I am concerned the lifting of sanctions on Russian oil will only fund the Kremlin’s war machine—emboldening more violence and destruction, as we have seen in recent days,” Republican Congressman Michael McCaul of Texas said Friday.
Several lawmakers have directly questioned the legality of the agreement, pointing to legislation Congress passed in 2022 banning Russian energy imports after the start of the Ukraine war.
“I do believe there’s a legitimate case for saying the president’s not following the law,” Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina said recently.
Republican Senator Susan Collins has repeatedly criticized the US-Russia agreement while campaigning in a closely contested reelection race in Maine
Trump has condemned Ukraine for its strikes on Russian oil facilities
‘Congress explicitly banned Russian energy imports in 2022 to prevent American dollars from financing (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s brutal war against Ukraine,’ the seven senators said in their joint statement.
They also claim that the administration did not consult with Congress before the decision, which would be required by law.
One of the signatories, Republican Senator Susan Collins, who is facing a tight re-election race in Maine, also gave a full-throated disavowal of the policy on social media to distance herself from the policy.
‘I oppose President Trump’s decision to lift sanctions on the purchase of diesel from Russia,’ she wrote. ‘I was a cosponsor of the Russian sanctions law, which the President recently signed but is now not following.’