Washington — GOP Lawmakers Rebuke Trump Over Russia Diesel Deal

A handful of Republican lawmakers are publicly breaking with President Donald Trump over his handling of the Russia-Ukraine war, after Trump waived sanctions on Moscow and struck a deal to import Russian diesel fuel, according to The Guardian.

What did Trump do on Russia sanctions and diesel?

Trump waived sanctions on Russia last week that were imposed under legislation named for his late ally, former Sen. Lindsey Graham, the Guardian reports. Trump had signed that sanctions law only a month earlier. Rather than enforcing it, Trump announced a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to import Russian diesel fuel — fuel that has become more expensive for American consumers largely because of Trump's separate conflict with Iran, according to the Guardian.

Which Republicans are pushing back, and why?

Outgoing Nebraska Rep. Don Bacon is among the Republicans criticizing the shift, telling CNN on Monday that GOP lawmakers he associates with "can't stand" the administration's approach, the Guardian reports. Bacon and other Republicans are reportedly threatening to withhold support for Trump's broader legislative agenda over what Bacon called an "absolutely disgraceful" posture toward Moscow.

What did Bacon say about Trump's approach to Putin?

Bacon accused Trump of cozying up to a "war criminal" in Putin, according to the Guardian. The remark came as Trump has increasingly shifted blame for continued fighting onto Ukraine rather than Russia, more than four years after Russia's invasion began, the outlet reports.

What is Trump saying about Zelenskyy?

Trump said over the weekend that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy "doesn't care" about the impact of Ukraine's strikes on Russia and "doesn't want to end this war and probably never did," because Ukraine continues to receive financial support from Europe, according to the Guardian. On Monday, Trump said it was "time for somebody else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine," suggesting Zelenskyy should step aside, the outlet reports.

How is Zelenskyy responding?

In an interview with Bloomberg cited by the Guardian, Zelenskyy said he believes Trump is taking steps to "convince Ukraine to capitulate" to Russian demands. Zelenskyy separately said the United States gave Ukraine no warning before Russian strikes on Kyiv's power plants, according to the Guardian's related reporting.

By the numbers

• 1 month: Time between Trump signing the Graham-named Russia sanctions law and waiving it, according to the Guardian.
• 4+ years: Length of time since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began, as of the sanctions waiver and diesel deal, per the Guardian.

The gap between the law's signing and its waiver, paired with a war now past the four-year mark, frames the dispute dividing Trump from members of his own party on Capitol Hill. Bacon, who is not seeking re-election, framed the split as a matter of credibility, telling CNN the president's standing "in this Congress is shot" over the issue, the Guardian reports. No vote count or whip tally on withholding support for Trump's agenda was provided in the available reporting.

For continuing coverage of the dispute, including live updates, see the Guardian's rolling file.