Russian diesel tankers are steaming toward U.S. ports as President Trump’s fuel deal with Moscow sparks a congressional showdown.
Trump authorizes Russian diesel imports despite 2022 ban
Three tankers carrying about 140,000 metric tons of Russian diesel are already crossing the Atlantic, and a fourth is set to leave Russia on Oct. 28.
The shipments, the first authorized under an Oct. 9 agreement between Trump and Vladimir Putin, aim to ease diesel prices amid supply disruptions from the war with Iran and Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries.
Congress objects, arguing the administration lacks authority to bypass the Ending Importation of Russian Oil Act of 2022 without legislative approval.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D‑Conn., demanded that Eastern Mediterranean Maritime Limited and PetroVietnam recall the vessels, warning that Treasury General License 135 cannot override the 2022 import ban and that the deliveries violate federal law.
Blumenthal also required the companies to preserve transaction records, port reservations and communications by Oct. 31, threatening investigations if they fail.
Legal analyst Jeremy Paner of Hughes Hubbard & Reed told Fox News Digital that the president possesses the legal authority to permit the imports.
“The claim that Trump violated a 2022 law is unfounded; a license authorizes a transaction without removing the underlying prohibition,” Paner said.
Paner explained that U.S. sanctions do not block the three vessels, even though one is individually sanctioned by Washington, because the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control issued a broad authorization covering Russian diesel imports.
The incoming tankers have drawn scrutiny because at least two are subject to Western sanctions, including the Malta‑flagged Agioi Fanendes, the 20‑year‑old Talisman, and the Hong Kong‑owned Leruo, which faces EU, UK and Canadian sanctions for alleged deceptive shipping practices.
Paner warned that while the U.S. license permits the imports, it does not shield foreign firms from sanctions imposed by the EU, U.K. or Canada, creating legal risk for shippers, insurers and banks.
“Sanctioned vessels are used to mitigate reputational and legal exposure, and determining current ownership complicates the application of multiple sanctions regimes,” Paner added.
Under the deal, Moscow will release 300,000 metric tons of diesel to global markets this month, increase to 500,000 tons in November, and potentially reach one million tons per month thereafter.
Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak criticized Democratic opposition, saying their actions jeopardize American consumers’ interests.
Lawmakers have warned that companies involved in the shipments could face congressional investigations and must retain documentation through Oct. 28.
Paner concluded that Congress is likely to investigate the U.S. side of the arrangement and subsequently examine any non‑U.S. participants.
