The Free Russia Forum, in an appeal to the U.S. Congress published today, said that it condemns the agreements between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin on supplies of Russian diesel fuel to the United States and the American administration’s decision to weaken sanctions against Russia.
“The proposed deal with Vladimir Putin is outright betrayal, and not only of Ukraine, which continues to fight against Russian aggression, but also of the national interests of the United States of America itself. Moreover, this deal poses a direct threat to the national security of your great country”, the document says.
The Forum Council urged American voters and Congress to be guided first and foremost by their own security interests. The authors of the document insist that Washington should not weaken restrictions, but rather intensify sanctions pressure on Russia. In the forum participants’ view, additional funds that the Kremlin may receive as a result of weakened sanctions will be used to continue the war against Ukraine and to threaten stability around the world.
The forum council also supported steps aimed at ending the war, including the bipartisan Ronald Reagan Peace Through Strength Act bill. The authors of the appeal expressed hope for its swift adoption.
On October 10, Republican Brian Fitzpatrick, co-chair of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus, announced the preparation of the bill. He intends to use the discharge petition procedure, which makes it possible to bring the bill to a vote in the House of Representatives without the approval of its leadership. To do this, 218 signatures from lawmakers are needed. A bipartisan group of six senators — four Republicans and two Democrats — also opposed Trump’s deal. They demanded that the administration “immediately change course”, saying that the purchase of Russian diesel contradicts the current restrictions on imports of Russian energy resources and will allow Moscow to receive additional funds to continue the war.
On October 9, Donald Trump said that after a conversation with Vladimir Putin, Russia agreed to immediately supply more than 300,000 tons of diesel fuel to the American and global market. In November, Trump said, another 500,000 tons should follow, and then another million tons. The U.S. administration temporarily eased sanctions restrictions to allow shipments of Russian fuel.
Trump explained the agreements by the need to lower diesel fuel prices in the United States. Analysts interviewed by Reuters doubt that Russian supplies will be able to significantly affect prices: the United States itself exports about 1.5 million barrels of diesel per day, while the first Russian shipment of 300,000 tons is equivalent to about 2.25 million barrels.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the U.S. decision “weak” and said that “gifts to Putin will not bring peace”.
The Free Russia Forum concludes its appeal by stating that Ukraine’s victory is crucial for the security of Western countries, including the United States, and expresses hope for the swift adoption of a bill blocking Russian oil shipments. “It is Ukraine’s victory that is crucial for ensuring the security of the entire Western world, including the United States of America”, the authors of the document emphasize.
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