Blumenthal slams Trump's Russia diesel deal as blow to Congress sanctions

Senator Richard Blumenthal has condemned Donald Trump's diesel supply agreement with Vladimir Putin. He says the move defies Congress's Russia sanctions law and aids Moscow's war machine.Stock photo used for illustrationWashington,Oct 10, 2026 08:48 ISTUS Senator Richard Blumenthal, who co-authored the Russia sanctions law, has strongly criticised President Donald Trump’s decision to strike a diesel supply deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Blumenthal called the move an "embarrassment" and said it went against the intent of Congress.Trump said on Friday, after speaking with Putin, that he had reached an agreement with Russia to supply diesel to the US and global markets to ease rising fuel prices. Blumenthal responded by urging Trump to cancel the deal immediately and warned American oil companies against taking part in it.Blumenthal, along with late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, had authored the Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act. The law was passed by both Houses of the US Congress with an overwhelming majority and gave Trump the power to impose 100 per cent tariffs on top buyers of oil and gas from Moscow. In a post on X on Friday, Blumenthal said, "The President’s decision to lift sanctions on Russian diesel is an embarrassment and makes us complicit in Putin’s war against Ukraine."He also referred to his earlier warning to India and China after the US Congress passed the Russia sanctions law on September 16. At the time, Blumenthal had said, "To China and India: You better clean up your act. Buy your oil and gas somewhere else. Appeasement is not a strategy." On Friday, he said, "This poorly concealed attempt to mitigate the havoc caused by Trump’s illegal war in Iran will only benefit the Chinese and Russian economies & lead to the slaughter of more innocents in Ukraine." Blumenthal further said, "This agreement with a murdering dictator is a stain on our nation’s character, an insult to Lindsey Graham’s memory, and directly contrary to Congress’s intent in our bipartisan sanctions bill." He added, "The President should rescind this agreement immediately. To the American companies considering taking Putin’s blood money: Congress is watching." The comments capped a sharp attack on Trump’s diesel deal with Russia, which Blumenthal said violated both the purpose and spirit of the sanctions law passed by Congress.With PTI Inputs - Ends