Hoyer Statement on Trump Administration Decision to Lift Sanctions on Russian Diesel

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) released the following statement after President Donald Trump announced a 180-day suspension of sanctions on Russian diesel and indicated that the U.S. may purchase large quantities of the fuel:

"It is outrageous for the President of the United States to purchase tons of diesel from Russia in direct contravention of legislation he signed three weeks ago imposing the toughest sanctions on Russia’s oil and gas. Doing so would fuel the very war of aggression in Ukraine that our sanctions are meant to stop. It is a sudden and mendacious shift in policy from the pressure of our sanctions to actively aiding and abetting the war effort of Russia against Ukraine - and an infusion of economic assistance to Russia. Both of these are the exact opposite of Congress’s intent and the President’s statement in enacting and signing the Lindsay O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act three weeks ago. This action bails out both Putin and Trump - for Putin, his faltering war effort and economy; for Trump, the consequences of a war of choice in Iran: exorbitant fuel costs for Americans.

"President Trump’s action of helping Russia while at the same time asking our allies to shoulder more of the burden of support for Ukraine is clearly duplicitous.

“Congress must take action, drawing on the strong bipartisan support behind the sanctions law, to prevent a penny of American funds from being used to purchase Russian petroleum products, on which Putin relies to fund his war.”