Cross-party U.S. senators oppose buying diesel from Russia. Experts: Easing oil prices in the Middle East is the key

With the U.S. midterm elections approaching on November 3, U.S. President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin reached a diesel trade agreement in an attempt to stabilize oil prices and quell public dissatisfaction. Trump's decision sparked criticism from senators across party lines in Congress, who said the move was an effort to funnel resources into Russia's war machine.

Republican Senators Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Thom Tillis, and John Curtis and Democratic Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Richard Blumenthal Blumenthal issued a joint statement, stating that the resumption of imports of Russian diesel without consulting Congress or providing legitimate reasons violated the 2022 law banning the import of Russian energy, and urged Trump to withdraw his order. "As Russia continues to kill Ukrainian citizens, the United States should not provide a financial lifeline to Putin. The government must step back from the brink immediately."

The Wall Street Journal quoted Janis Kluge, head of Eastern European studies at the German think tank "Academic and Political Foundation" (SWP), as saying that Moscow had planned to resume diesel exports, so Putin did not make concessions in the agreement, and additional Russian diesel is unlikely to alleviate pressure on the global fuel market. "The Middle East is of greater importance."