WASHINGTON (AURN News) — President Donald Trump’s plan to buy Russian diesel is drawing opposition from Republican and Democratic senators as Americans face high fuel costs. Seven senators urged the administration Sunday to reverse course.
By Monday morning, Brent crude was trading above $105 a barrel. Trump announced Friday that he had reached a diesel deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin aimed at lowering fuel prices ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
But buying Russian fuel runs counter to U.S. efforts to restrict the energy revenue Moscow can use to finance its war in Ukraine. The announcement also follows a new law directing Trump to impose tariffs on imports from some of the largest buyers of Russian oil and gas.
Trump signed legislation targeting major buyers of Russian energy just last month. Now he’s announced a deal for the U.S. to buy Russian diesel, a source of revenue Washington has sought to restrict as Moscow wages war in Ukraine.
For consumers, a promised shipment is no guarantee of relief. Whether the deal will lower fuel prices remains unclear.
Click play to listen to the report from AURN White House Correspondent Ebony McMorris. For more news, follow @ebonymcmorris & @aurnonline.
