WASHINGTON, Oct 13 - Twelve U.S. senators, among them six members of the president’s own party, formally requested on Tuesday that the president rescind his administration’s diesel oil arrangement with Russia. In a letter to the White House, the lawmakers said the pact would give Moscow greater access to fuel resources that could be used to finance its military campaign in Ukraine and that the agreement offered no clear benefit to American citizens.
The bipartisan missive adds to a growing chorus of criticism from both Republicans and Democrats. The lawmakers described the agreement as a strategic error that undermines U.S. interests and betrays allies who continue to oppose Russian aggression.
"Granting Moscow the ability to sell Russian diesel freely in global markets damages American security interests and is a betrayal of the people of Ukraine, who continue to defend themselves from (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s murderous, illegal war," the letter said. "This deal is a gift to our adversary and a betrayal of our Allies; it should be rescinded."
The letter, dated Tuesday, was signed by Republican senators Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Susan Collins of Maine, Alan Armstrong of Oklahoma, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and John Cornyn of Texas, together with six Democratic senators.
Collins, Murkowski and Tillis had earlier joined Democratic senators in a joint statement issued on Sunday urging the president to "reverse course" on the diesel arrangement, asserting that the pact contravenes U.S. law that bars energy imports from Russia until that country ends its aggression against Ukraine.
Reporters asked the president earlier on Tuesday about the diesel deal; he declined to directly answer whether revenues from the pact could enable Russia to buy more munitions.
The group of Democratic signatories on Tuesday included Senators Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Richard Durbin of Illinois, Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Jack Reed of Rhode Island and Chris Coons of Connecticut.
The senators framed their request as both a legal and strategic objection, emphasizing the potential for increased Russian fuel sales to underwrite continued military operations in Ukraine. Their appeal underscores a rare public split within Republican ranks on a key foreign policy decision and arrives just weeks before the November 3 midterm elections that will decide control of Congress.