Republican Senator Questions Legality of Diesel Deal With Russia

US Senator Thom Tillis has raised questions about the legality of President Donald Trump's decision to temporarily ease sanctions on Russian diesel, amid soaring fuel prices in the United States caused by the US-Israel war with Iran.

In an interview Sunday on NBC News' Meet the Press, Tillis argued that the sanctions relief could violate congressional law.

"I think there's a legitimate basis to say that the president is not complying with the law," Tillis said.

Trump's decision has unsettled some Republican lawmakers who have continued to support Ukraine in its war with Russia — which began in February 2022 after Moscow launched a full-scale invasion.

Tillis warned that his vote in support of Trump's legislative priorities would depend on whether the White House reverses the decision.

"If the president wants my support — which I think he should get for funding military operations and year-end funding above baseline — I think the president needs to understand that this is an issue, and I'm not the only Republican concerned about it," Tillis said.

Tillis has become a critical voice within the Republican Party, condemning what he sees as overreach by the Trump administration.

His Senate tenure, however, is coming to an end. In June 2025, Tillis announced he would not seek re-election in the midterm elections on November 3, after Trump threatened to back a primary challenger in his home state of North Carolina. His term ends in January.

On the same Sunday, Tillis joined a bipartisan group of senators in sending a letter condemning the easing of sanctions on Russia.

The group includes Republicans such as Susan Collins (Maine), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and John Curtis (Utah), along with Democrats Jeanne Shaheen and Richard Blumenthal.

"The US should not be funneling more financial resources to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin while Russia continues to kill Ukrainian civilians. The administration must immediately reverse this decision," the senators wrote.

Another retiring Republican lawmaker, Representative Don Bacon, also said Friday that "propping up Putin's war economy is morally wrong, when he uses that money to bomb cities."

The opposition reveals fractures within the Republican Party over Russia's invasion.

Party establishment figures generally push for strong support for Kyiv, while some members are skeptical about continued US assistance to Ukraine.

Trump himself has criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, accusing Kyiv's government of obstructing a US-brokered ceasefire.

"I suggested they have a new leader who can get a deal, because he probably could have gotten many deals, but for some reason, he never did," Trump said Saturday. "It's a war that should never have started, and I think it's time Ukraine needs a new president."

A day earlier, Trump announced that a phone call with Putin had ended with an agreement to supply 300,000 tons of diesel to global markets, with another 500,000 tons to be delivered in November.

In an interview with Fox and Friends on Sunday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent argued that the decision to ease some sanctions on Moscow was necessary to ease the spike in diesel prices.

"We're going to do it with all the legal authority that we have," Bessent said.

Analysts say the decision is unlikely to lower prices in the long term. Critics such as Tillis also point to previous laws banning imports of Russian fuel, including a 2022 executive order.

A law signed last month — named after the late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham — also bans US investment in Russia's energy sector.

The rise in global fuel prices this year is largely attributed to the US-Israel war against Iran that began in February. Because of that war, Iran has restricted commercial activity through the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for fuel trade.

Tillis referenced these circumstances in his remarks on Meet the Press.

"If President Trump wants to end pressure on energy supplies, first, deal properly with Iran, and second, recognize that it was Vladimir Putin, not Zelenskyy, who started this war," Tillis said.

"It is Vladimir Putin who is responsible for energy prices, to the extent that they stem from that part of the world."

Trump's decision has also drawn international criticism, with the office of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney issuing a statement in support of Ukraine.

"This deal stands in direct opposition to the efforts of Ukraine, Canada and allies to create peace and stability in Europe," Carney's office said in a summary of Sunday's call with Zelenskyy. "It will provide additional revenue to Russia and help fund its illegal, unjustified war against Ukraine."