Trump’s diesel deal with Vladimir Putin sparks panic among Republicans ahead of midterm elections

DAILYMAIL.COM • 2h ago

By JON MICHAEL RAASCH, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT 17:44 13 Oct 2026, updated 17:59 13 Oct 2026

Donald Trump’s recently announced diesel fuel deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin has Republicans seeing red as they are forced to defend the deal ahead of the midterm elections.

US diesel fuel prices skyrocketed to an all-time high last month, reaching $6.53 per gallon before falling to $6.28, according to AAA.

Gas prices also reached $4.50 last month before dropping to $4.34 on Tuesday. The all-time high for a gallon of regular gasoline was just over $5 per gallon in June 2022.

The increased fuel costs not only hurt voters at the pump but also forced up the cost of goods due to the elevated price of shipping and transportation.

Eyeing these price increases as a threat to Republicans before the November 3 midterm elections, Trump announced a chummy deal between the US and Russia to help lower costs.

After a torrent of backlash from Republicans and Democrats in Congress claiming that the deal helps fund Russia’s war machine as it fights with Ukraine, violates existing US law and establishes closer ties between Putin and Trump’s governments.

‘The United States should not provide Putin with a financial lifeline while Russia continues to kill Ukrainian civilians,’ seven senators, including four Republicans, said in a joint statement on Sunday.

It was signed by Republican Senators Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, John Curtis of Utah and Thom Tillis of North Carolina.

But striking a defiant tone, Trump defended the deal on Monday, writing on social media: ‘I made the right choice for the American People — ALWAYS, AMERICA FIRST!’

In the same post, the president accused the media of not adequately covering how other nations have also purchased Russian oil.

‘The European Union paid Russia 250 Billion Dollars for Energy, and the Fake News Media doesn’t want to get near that story,’ Trump said.

Though he did not say where he got the figure, it does roughly track some estimates that show the EU has purchased at least $239 billion worth of Russian energy since the 2022 Ukraine invasion.

The US-Russia diesel deal, announced following a Friday phone call between Trump and Putin, centered on the administration issuing temporary licenses allowing Russian diesel imports into the US for six months.

‘While I understand the desire to bring down diesel prices, I am concerned the lifting of sanctions on Russian oil will only fund the Kremlin’s war machine—emboldening more violence and destruction, as we have seen in recent days,’ Republican Congressman Michael McCaul of Texas said on Friday.

Many lawmakers have said outright that Trump’s deal is illegal, noting how Congress moved to ban Russian energy imports in 2022 at the outset of the Ukraine war.

‘I do believe there’s a legitimate case for saying the president’s not following the law,’ Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina said recently.

‘Congress explicitly banned Russian energy imports in 2022 to prevent American dollars from ‌financing (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s brutal war against Ukraine,’ the seven senators said in their joint statement.

They also claim that the administration did not consult with Congress before the decision, which would be required by law.

One of the signatories, Republican Senator Susan Collins, who is facing a tight re-election race in Maine, also gave a full-throated disavowal of the policy on social media to distance herself from the policy.

‘I oppose President Trump’s decision to lift sanctions on the purchase of diesel from Russia,’ she wrote. ‘I was a cosponsor of the Russian sanctions law, which the President recently signed but is now not following.’

Pictured: Man mauled to death by tiger at Yorkshire zoo as video shows moment he walked up to the 30…

Debts paid off, bank accounts closed, then a poignant visit to the lake where their mother drowned:…

Burnham is in retreat over Russia Brexit ‘lies’: Boris and Farage blast PM’s referendum claim

Terrorists are plotting drone attacks in Britain and could kill using bioweapons as AI…

Civil servant used remote working to fraudulently held down FIVE government jobs at the same time,…

‘This is Derbyshire, not North Korea’: Son put ‘under surveillance’ by council which dumped huge…

Princess Eugenie shares sweet clip of her baby girl Adelaide as she celebrates eight years married…

Dad who fell to his death from Six Flags roller coaster levitated and made eye contact with other…

Michael Gove’s Oxford don ex-girlfriend is facing trial for possession of child abuse images

Inside the new life of ‘road rage’ killer Tracie Andrews, as a Channel 5 drama retells her…

London council shames fly-tippers by posting photos of them dumping rubbish after announcing…

The Badenoch bounce! Kemi boasts of ‘more to come’ as poll shows Tories leapfrogging Reform after…

Anthropic admits Houthis used Claude AI instead of weapons engineers to make rockets and ballistic…

Trump lashes out at fury over Putin diesel deal and says ‘the EU paid Russia $250billion for energy…

How traditional British surnames are dying out: Khan, Ahmed and Ali enter top 10 baby names and…

Man who fell to his death from Six Flags roller coaster was riding with his son while wife and…

Trump’s diesel deal with Vladimir Putin sparks panic among RepublicansComments are subject to our House rules and TermsNewest{{#isModerationStatus}}{{moderationStatus}}

No one seems to have shared their thoughts on this topic yetLeave a comment so your voice will be heard first.

{{upVotes}}{{downVotes}}{{#replies.comments}}{{^isLast}}{{initials}}{{userAlias}}, United Kingdom, {{formattedDateAndTime}}{{message}}

{{upVotes}}{{downVotes}}{{/isLast}}{{#isLast}}{{initials}}{{userAlias}}, United Kingdom, {{formattedDateAndTime}}{{message}}

{{upVotes}}{{downVotes}}{{/isLast}}{{/replies.comments}}{{/replies.totalCount}}{{^replies.totalCount}}{{initials}}{{userAlias}}, United Kingdom, {{formattedDateAndTime}}{{message}}

{{upVotes}}{{downVotes}}{{/replies.totalCount}}{{/isComment}}The opinions and views expressed in the comments section are solely those of the individual users and do not represent or reflect the opinions, views, or positions of MailOnline. MailOnline does not endorse, support, or verify the accuracy of any user-generated content.Terms|Privacy|FeedbackOldest{{#isModerationStatus}}{{moderationStatus}}