Trump’s Russia fuel deal faces legal scrutiny from GOP as funding deadline nears
WASHINGTON, DC: Outgoing GOP Senator Thom Tillis, currently on a media tour promoting his new book ‘How to Lose Friends and Antagonize Presidents,’ criticized President Donald Trump’s recent diesel deal with Russia.
Tillis said that the diesel deal, which Trump announced on Friday, Oct. 9, could be illegal. The deal appears to be part of the administration’s effort to contain soaring fuel rates in the United States, which have affected the cost of living.
Tillis questions the legality of Trump’s deal with Putin
Thom Tillis, a Republican who represents North Carolina in the US Senate, appeared on NBC’s 'Meet the Press' on Sunday, October 11, where he discussed several issues, including the Russia diesel deal and year-end government funding.
Tillis said that President Trump’s decision to ease sanctions on Russia and allow Russian diesel to enter global markets could violate the law.
“I do believe there’s a legitimate case for saying the president’s not following the law,” Tillis said Sunday.
In 2022, the US Senate unanimously passed legislation banning imports of Russian energy products following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. The law also provides a process under which the president can terminate the import ban, subject to specified requirements.
Responding to moderator Kristen Welker’s question about whether he believed Trump’s deal could be breaking the law, Tillis said, “I believe that he may be.”
“I do believe there’s a legitimate case for saying the president’s not following the law,” he added moments later. “We were very clear that Russia is the aggressor. Russia is the one who can end this war by backing out of territory that they occupied.”
Trump admin may struggle to secure year-end funding after Russia deal
Discussing the potential implications of the deal and the Senate’s response, Tillis warned that the controversy could affect his support for year-end funding.
“If the president wants my support, which I believe he should get for funding military operations and year-end funding beyond baseline funding, I think the president needs to understand this is a problem, and I’m not the only Republican concerned with this,” he said.
Asked whether Trump’s deal with Putin was putting American lives at risk, Tillis said, “It absolutely will,” pointing to Russia funding mercenaries and Russia’s relationship with Iran.
What is Trump’s deal with Russia, and how has Ukraine reacted to it?
According to the US-Russia talks announced on Friday, the Russian government will be able to push 300,000 tons of diesel into the US and global market.
“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,” he wrote in a Friday post on Truth Social.
The deal comes amid Trump’s deteriorating approval rating and poll surveys suggesting that rising living costs could affect Republicans’ chances in the midterm elections scheduled to take place in less than a month.
Trump expects to direct the political wind in favor of Republicans by reducing the fuel price, which is severely affecting common Americans.
After Trump announced the deal, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described the move as a gift to Russia.
Peace never comes through weakness. Today, representatives of the U.S. Congress were in Kyiv – a bipartisan delegation – and I am grateful to them for visiting Ukraine at such a difficult time. They asked: what is needed to end the war? The answer must be strong. There must be sanctions under the Lindsey Graham bill, there must be support for Ukraine in protecting lives, and there must be pressure on Russia for its war. And today, there was a conversation between the leaders of America and Russia. A conversation that leads to something different. Recently, there was a European decision to lift sanctions on Russian oligarchs. Since then, Russian strikes and the torment of people have only increased. This past week alone, there was a brutal Russian missile strike on a residential building in Pryluky, aerial bombs were dropped on Kramatorsk – on ordinary city buses – and there have been constant attacks on Kyiv’s energy infrastructure and on the life-sustaining infrastructure in Dnipro, Kharkiv, Odesa, and our other cities. Dozens of people have been killed and hundreds wounded. The Russians are compensating for their inability to achieve their objectives on the battlefield with this kind of terror. This year, Russia is weaker on the battlefield than at any other point in the war. That is why Putin is relying on terror. That is why he is relying on attempts to strike backroom deals to secure some form of pressure relief for Russia, in order to buy more time and more opportunities for war. Any easing of sanctions against Russia without a clear and lasting de-escalation agreement with Russia is an obvious weakness. It plays into Russia’s hands – allowing it to kill more, wage war for longer, have even less respect for America, and inflict even greater losses and damage on the world. Ukraine is ready to take symmetrical de-escalatory steps, and the American team knows our position. Our strikes on Russian oil refineries and other oil facilities are a response to Russia’s years-long campaign of terror against Ukraine’s energy sector. Ukraine will not set Russian oil refineries on fire if Russia does not destroy our energy infrastructure. This is the kind of agreement we are proposing to America, and we believe the United States has enough power to achieve such a compromise. Gifts to Putin will not bring peace or any benefit to the civilized world. Russia will “repay” the diesel with further terror and perfidy. Allowing Russia to sell petroleum products is an investment in a war that must be ended, not prolonged. What is needed is real de-escalation with Russia on a reciprocal basis. We count on America’s fair support for our defense of life, for our defense of people in Ukraine – and on the United States having a correspondingly strong conversation with Russia. A strong one, not a weak one.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) October 9, 2026
“Gifts to Putin will not bring peace or any benefit to the civilized world,” Zelensky wrote in a lengthy post on social platform X.
“Russia will ‘repay’ the diesel with further terror and perfidy. Allowing Russia to sell petroleum products is an investment in a war that must be ended, not prolonged.”
