Senators in both parties urge Trump to scrap the Russian diesel deal as Russia hits Kyiv’s power again and Zelensky says allies gave no warning
Senators of both parties pressed Trump on Tuesday to rescind the deal easing sanctions on Russian diesel, Politico, Axios, The Hill, PBS NewsHour and The New York Times reported, with Reuters and USA Today quoting Republicans who called it a “gift to our adversary” and “a betrayal.” Trump said it is “not a USA deal,” Yahoo Finance reported. CNBC calculated that the volumes equal less than two weeks of U.S. demand. Meloni called it a “very risky choice,” and the International Energy Agency said diesel shortages could last well into 2027. Russia struck Kyiv’s energy sites on Tuesday and overnight, and Reuters said an attack on the city killed two people. Zelensky said Ukraine received no warning and told NPR that the administration warned it could cut off intelligence. Bloomberg reported that Trump says sharing continues, and the Times said both governments say so. Reuters, the Guardian, the Financial Times and Politico reported limits on Starlink use by Ukrainian forces.
Diesel moves trucks, farms and ships, so its price reaches nearly every shelf. A deal that eases sanctions to cut that price also hands Moscow revenue during a war, which is why lawmakers in both parties and European leaders object. The strikes on Ukraine’s power grid as winter nears, and doubt about what Washington shares with Kyiv, raise the cost of the argument.
Expect little relief at the pump from this deal alone. CNBC’s arithmetic puts the volumes under two weeks of U.S. demand, and the IEA sees tightness lasting into 2027. If you drive a diesel vehicle or buy goods that travel by truck, prices remain the thing to watch.
Trump called the deal “the right choice for the American people” on Monday, CBS News reported, and says the fuel is for the world market, not for U.S. buyers.
Critics, including Republican senators, call it “a betrayal” of allies that rewards Russia while it hits Ukraine’s grid.
The deal and the strikes are now one story. Watch for three things: whether Washington says plainly what intelligence it shares with Kyiv, whether SpaceX’s Starlink limits are explained or lifted, and whether the sanctions easing is changed. Until one of those moves, the pressure from Congress is words.
DailyDrop U.S. No. 10 · October 14, 2026