Trump defends federal license permitting Russian diesel supply

President Donald Trump defended a federal license permitting the supply of Russian diesel to international markets, a decision that has relaxed certain sanctions on Moscow and provoked sharp pushback from Republican and Democratic lawmakers, dw.com reported.

Defense of the Diesel License at the White House

Trump spoke at the White House on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, maintaining that the arrangement is designed to supply energy to the global market rather than solely to the United States. The policy relies on a specific license issued by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). That license authorizes the sale, delivery, and import of Russian diesel through April 7, 2027, despite broader federal sanctions. At the same time, the administration continues to enforce restrictions on financial transactions involving accounts held by three state-owned Russian financial institutions, dw.com noted.

During the same remarks, Trump criticized attacks targeting Russian oil refineries. He told reporters that those attacks on energy infrastructure were not “a very good thing.”

Lawmakers Challenge License over 2022 Energy Ban

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill challenged the administration’s authorization. On Sunday, October 11, 2026, a group of four Republican senators joined with three Democratic members of the upper chamber to issue a joint statement condemning the move. The signatories argued that the license directly contradicts sanctions law. In a 2022 legislative action, Congress explicitly banned Russian energy imports to prevent American dollars from funding the conflict. The bipartisan group also accused the executive branch of bypassing required statutory consultations and failing to provide Congress with a formal justification for relaxing the restrictions, dw.com reported.

Campaign Trail Repercussions in Alaska

Following his White House remarks, Trump traveled to Alaska on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, to campaign for upcoming midterm elections. The trip brought the president into the home state of Lisa Murkowski, a Republican critic of the diesel agreement. Murkowski stated on Friday via the social media platform X that any discussion regarding the reintegration of Russian energy into global markets should wait until the war concludes. “Meanwhile, we must cut off anything that feeds them,” Murkowski wrote.

Murkowski also pointed to legislative efforts in September, when the House of Representatives passed a sanctions package targeting both Russia and Iran. That measure granted Trump additional authority to levy tariffs of up to 100 percent against nations purchasing Russian energy supplies.

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