Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) is breaking with Donald Trump over his new diesel deal with Vladimir Putin. She says he’s ignoring the tools Congress just handed him.
“A few weeks ago, Congress overwhelmingly passed legislation to increase sanctions and tariffs on Russia,” Murkowski wrote on X late Friday. “The President should be using those authorities instead of allowing Russia to export diesel, rake in revenues, and continue its catastrophic war in Ukraine.”
“We can discuss Russia’s return to global energy markets once the war is over,” she added, “but in the meantime, we need to cut off everything fueling it.”
Her post linked to an Associated Press report on the deal, headlined “Trump strikes deal with Putin to get diesel in sharp reversal of US policy.”
The deal comes as diesel prices hit record highs in farm states during harvest season, the New York Times reported Friday. Fuel prices have climbed nationwide since Trump launched his war against Iran, and Republicans are scrambling to hold on to seats three weeks before the midterms.
The plan has already run into trouble. Hours after the U.S. eased sanctions on Russian fuel exports, Ukrainian drones hit a major oil export terminal in Rostov-on-Don and set it on fire, Al Jazeera reported.
It wasn’t Murkowski’s only break with the administration this week. She also criticized the Pentagon’s decision to livestream the firing-squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan.
“I would expect this from terrorists and dictators, but not here in America,” she wrote.
A few weeks ago, Congress overwhelmingly passed legislation to increase sanctions and tariffs on Russia. The President should be using those authorities instead of allowing Russia to export diesel, rake in revenues, and continue its catastrophic war in Ukraine. We can discuss Russia’s return to global energy markets once the war is over, but in the meantime, we need to cut off everything fueling it.https://t.co/KPkEoDy1Np — Sen. Lisa Murkowski (@lisamurkowski) October 10, 2026
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