Republican Senator Thom Tillis said President Donald Trump's diesel supply deal with Russia may be illegal. The arrangement, which temporarily lifts US sanctions on Russian fuel, has drawn criticism from Republicans, while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says it rests on existing legal authority.
Republican US Senator Thom Tillis said on Sunday that Trump's diesel supply deal with Russia may be illegal and will put American lives at risk. His comments add to bipartisan criticism of the arrangement announced by the president on Friday.
What the deal does
Trump said Russia had agreed to supply diesel to global markets, and his administration temporarily lifted US sanctions on Russian fuel that were designed to deprive Moscow of revenue for its war on Ukraine. Diesel prices are near record highs and could hurt Republicans in next month's congressional elections. Analysts have said the agreement was unlikely to lead to sustained lower fuel prices.
Tillis is retiring from the Senate at the end of his term in January. According to Reuters: "I do believe there's a legitimate case for saying the president's not following the law," Tillis said.
Republican criticism grows
Tillis is not the first Republican to criticize the deal. Retiring Representative Don Bacon of Nebraska said on X on Friday that propping up Putin's war economy is morally wrong. Former Vice President Mike Pence called the decision to lift sanctions on Russian oil a betrayal of Lindsey Graham's legacy.
Trump signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 last month. Tillis said the president's actions are the exact opposite of the intent of that bill.
The administration defends the deal
Bessent, however, told Fox News on Sunday that the administration will follow through with the deal using existing legal authority. He said the agreement was good for the American people and would bring prices down. Senate Republican No. 2 John Barrasso of Wyoming also defended the deal, saying Trump is focused on bringing costs down for consumers, ranchers, farmers and truckers.
Source: Commodities & Futures News
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