By Patricia Zengerle and Valerie Volcovici
WASHINGTON, Oct 13 (Reuters) - A dozen US senators, including six Republicans, called on President Donald Trump on Tuesday to rescind his diesel deal with Russia, days before his administration must decide whether to formally impose new sanctions on Moscow over its war in Ukraine.
The lawmakers' letter to Trump said the agreement provides Russian President Vladimir Putin's government with more fuel to finance its war, and will not benefit Americans, adding
to a torrent of congressional criticism since Trump announced the deal on Friday.
The resistance marks a shift from what had been Republicans' near-unanimous support for Trump's foreign policy decisions, weeks before November 3 midterm elections that will determine whether the party retains control of Congress.
In his post, Trump said he was lifting sanctions on Russian diesel exports, and that Russia would immediately supply more than 300,000 metric tons (2.25 million barrels) of diesel to US and global markets.
Although Trump said he wanted to reduce prices, the amount he referenced is less than a day's supply for the US transport sector alone, according to US Energy Information Administration data, which shows daily use of around 2.94 million barrels per day.
"Granting Moscow the ability to sell Russian diesel freely in global markets damages American security interests and is a betrayal of the people of Ukraine, who continue to defend themselves from Putin's murderous, illegal war," the lawmakers said in their letter.
"This deal is a gift to our adversary and a betrayal of our Allies; it should be rescinded," they said.
The senators' letter, dated Tuesday, was signed by Republicans Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Susan Collins of Maine, Alan Armstrong of Oklahoma, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and John Cornyn of Texas, as well as six Democrats.
GRAHAM SANCTIONS BILL DEADLINE LOOMS
Under a law Trump signed last month, he faces an October 18 deadline to impose sweeping new sanctions and tariffs on Russian energy over the Ukraine war, or waive them because he has determined that doing so is in the national interest.
The letter urged Trump to execute the sanctions authorities included in the new law, called the "Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026", in honor of the late senator, a Russia hawk and close Trump ally who died in July.
The administration has not yet told lawmakers whether it would impose the sanctions or issue a waiver.
Collins, Murkowski and Tillis had joined Democrats in a joint statement on Sunday calling on Trump to "reverse course" on the deal, saying it runs counter to US law barring imports of energy until Russia ends its aggression against Ukraine.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Republican president was asked whether anyone had told him Russia could use proceeds of the diesel deal to purchase more bombs. "No, nobody told me anything," Trump responded, adding the deal benefited not just the US but the world.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Monday that Russia will be able to return diesel exports to levels above those Trump had outlined under the deal.
The Democratic senators who signed the letter were Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Richard Durbin of Illinois, Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Jack Reed of Rhode Island and Chris Coons of Connecticut.
(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Additional reporting by Nandita Bose and Jacob Borsage; Editing by Don Durfee and Jonathan Spicer)
