President Donald Trump is doubling down over his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin after making a move that could delay a sweeping crackdown on Russia’s economy.
Trump signed an executive order putting the brakes on a major new sanctions package targeting Russia, telling Congress the pause was in the national interest. On Sunday, the President shifted the reason to the Russia-Ukraine war.
My decision on Russia is a very simple one. I am in the process of negotiating Peace in the war between Russia and Ukraine, and don’t want to do anything that will drive, foolishly, Russia away from the bargaining table,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Great progress is being made, and that includes current hostage negotiations! Signing that document at this time will do that, and I can sign it later, or any time that I want!” he added.
Just last month, Trump signed the legislation into law. Now, he has moved to delay its implementation two days before the deadline set by the law itself.
Named after the late South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, the measure aimed to quickly cut off financial resources supporting Russia’s war against Ukraine.
The reversal comes a week after he agreed to purchase diesel from the country to bring down global energy prices, despite that potentially hurting Ukraine in its war with Russia.
And in a humiliating move, Trump tried to walk back the deal claiming it’s really for the whole world and not just the U.S.
“It’s a deal for the world … It’s not a deal with me,” Trump whined to reporters on Tuesday morning, Oct. 13. Trump insisted it’s “not a USA deal.”
“They’re releasing it to the entire world,” he claimed after falsely declaring a day earlier that it would help struggling farmers buckling under the sky-high cost of diesel.
On Friday, Oct. 9, Trump took to his Truth Social platform to crow about a “very big and important announcement.”
“I have just concluded a highly successful discussion with President Vladimir Putin, of Russia, wherein it was agreed that Russia will immediately supply over 300,000 Tons of Diesel Fuel to the American and Global Marketplace, another 500,000 Tons during the month of November, and 1,000,000 Tons immediately thereafter,” Trump astonishingly announced.
The only problem? The deal is illegal.
Trump taking of the deal ignored the sanctions that Congress implemented after Moscow invaded Ukraine in 2022. The sanctions include a formal ban on Russian fossil fuel imports.
The House passed the ban, including crude oil and diesel, on a 413-9 vote in April of 2022. The Senate passed the bill unanimously.
The sanctions bill Trump signed just last month targeted “Russian officials, companies and financial institutions helping fuel the war,” according to NPR.
Trump ignored all that and made a deal with Putin to import millions of tons of fuel to help ease the price of skyrocketing diesel fuel from his boondoggle of a war on Iran. Experts have criticized the move, saying the minuscule amount of diesel from Moscow would barely last a few days with U.S. diesel consumption.
But he quickly bypassed Congress and made a deal with Putin through next April. Then the blowback started.
A group of 12 senators, six Republicans and six Democrats, directed withering criticism at Trump over the Putin deal.
They also disputed that fuel from Russia would significantly impact the soaring prices in the U.S. They pointed out, according to The Associated Press, that the money Moscow makes will “undoubtedly finance its desired war of attrition” on Ukraine and “advance its security cooperation with China, Iran and North Korea.”
Lawmakers were even more mad about the sanctions package being off the table.
“I think it’s clear Russia is the aggressor, and we’ve got to do everything we can to put economic pressure on Russia,” Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) said in an interview with The Associated Press. “So, it’s not the first thing I would be doing.”
“Beyond irresponsible,” said Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) on social media. “What part of enforcing a law passed 86-11 by the Senate does the President and his advisors not understand?”
Trump’s diesel deal and sanctions reversal are just the latest moves where he has sided with Putin over Ukraine, jeopardizing even more than he already has the U.S.’s standing in the world and violating U.S. law.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said in a statement that “by giving the Russian economy life support, Trump’s deal with the devil keeps getting dirtier.”
Social media called Trump out, with many pointing this is more proof that he is beholden to Putin for unknown reasons.
“He’s just doing what his handlers tell him to do,” a Threads user observed.
Others agreed. “Ever-changing story as usual.”
Trump launched an unapproved and deadly war on Iran on Feb. 28, claiming it would soon be over. Tehran quickly shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial maritime fuel route, sending gas and diesel prices soaring.
Americans are paying $4.34 a gallon for regular unleaded compared to $3.08 a year ago, according to Triple A. And diesel? It’s averaging $6.27 a gallon, but much higher in some states, compared to $3.65 at this time last year.
