Republicans press Trump to cancel Russian diesel deal and restore sanctions

The first Russian diesel tanker bound for the United States is expected to carry about two hours' worth of U.S. distillate consumption, according to analyst Aarathi Krishnan. It was scheduled to leave Russia on Thursday for an undisclosed U.S. port.

That shipment is now at the center of a Republican revolt against President Trump. Trump waived Russia sanctions that Congress had passed under legislation named for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, then reached an agreement for Russia to send diesel to the U.S. while fuel prices remain high.

The pushback: Reps. Don Bacon, Brian Fitzpatrick, Michael McCaul, Dan Newhouse and Joe Wilson joined 17 House Democrats in an Oct. 15 letter urging Trump to cancel the diesel agreement and increase sanctions pressure on Moscow. Former Vice President Mike Pence has also called for the sanctions to be restored, while House Speaker Mike Johnson said he warned the White House that a waiver could bring “unintended consequences.”

Some House Republicans are warning they could block additional Pentagon funding unless the administration takes a tougher approach to Russia. The administration is seeking at least $350 billion in new military spending through a partisan reconciliation package, according to The Hill. Fitzpatrick said lawmakers could take punitive budget action after the administration failed to provide what he called sufficient answers on the diesel deal and disruptions to Ukraine's Starshield access.

Why Trump did it: Trump has defended delaying further Russia sanctions by saying he does not want to drive Moscow away from negotiations intended to end its war in Ukraine. Sen. Darline Graham said she would rather keep pressure on Russia, citing her distrust of Vladimir Putin and Russia.

The number that matters: U.S. retail diesel averaged $6.31 a gallon on Oct. 21, according to AAA. That is down from $6.51 a month earlier, but far above $3.62 a year ago. Trump has described a schedule of 300,000 tonnes of diesel, followed by 500,000 tonnes in November and 1 million tonnes afterward, though Russia's ability to deliver is uncertain after Ukrainian drone attacks disrupted refinery capacity and Moscow imposed fuel-export restrictions.

Analysts told Al Jazeera that one cargo will not meaningfully lower national diesel prices, leaving the larger promised shipments, and whether Russia can actually supply them, as the next test.