Six Republican senators have joined Democrats in asking President Donald Trump to cancel a U.S. license for Russian diesel, challenging a policy they say could help finance Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
In an Oct. 13 letter, six Republicans — Thom Tillis, Susan Collins, Alan Armstrong, Lisa Murkowski, Mitch McConnell and John Cornyn — joined six Democrats in urging Trump to withdraw General License 135. The lawmakers argued that Russian diesel sales could provide revenue for Moscow’s war effort and called the arrangement a “gift to our adversary.”
The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued the license on Oct. 9. It permits specified transactions involving Russian-origin diesel, including imports into the United States, until 12:01 a.m. Eastern daylight time on April 7, 2027.
Trump said in an Oct. 9 Truth Social post that Russia would supply more than 300,000 tons immediately, 500,000 tons in November, one million tons after that and another three million over a short period, depending on refinery conditions. The post did not say whether “tons” meant metric or U.S. short tons. The license authorizes transactions but does not establish that any of the announced shipments were contracted or delivered.
Trump signed a separate executive order on Oct. 16 waiving specified sanctions, restrictions and duties under the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026. The order states that Trump submitted a national-interest certification to Congress; the waivers remain in place until further action.
Andrew C. McCarthy, a senior fellow at the National Review Institute and contributing editor at National Review, urged Congress in an Oct. 17 column to investigate Trump’s Russia policy. McCarthy wrote that Trump was giving Russian President Vladimir Putin “aid and comfort.”
Trump said on Oct. 11 that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to an immediate energy ceasefire. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine supported the proposal but was awaiting Russia’s agreement and details from U.S.-Russia discussions. Zelenskyy also said Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities had continued.
On Oct. 15, nine senators, including four Republicans, asked the Department of Defense (DoD) inspector general to investigate reports of Starlink and Starshield service interruptions in Ukraine. Their letter said the cause was unclear and cited reported speed restrictions from Oct. 12 to Oct. 14. Their letter said Ukrainian military testing reportedly identified restrictions at speeds above about 63 miles per hour and that SpaceX reportedly acknowledged a service restriction at 100 miles per hour.
Reuters, citing two U.S. officials and a Western official, reported that an instruction to limit Starshield came from inside the White House but did not identify who issued it. The Associated Press reported that Trump told reporters he had not ordered restrictions. The senators requested an initial briefing by Nov. 1.
