Republican senator says Trump diesel agreement with Russia may be illegal

What the report says

U.S. Senator Thom Tillis, a Republican from North Carolina, has questioned whether President Donald Trump’s decision to temporarily ease sanctions on Russian diesel is lawful. In an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press, Tillis said there is a “legitimate case” that the administration may not be following the law, and warned that his support for Trump’s broader legislative agenda could depend on the White House changing course.

Al Jazeera reported that the policy move is aimed at easing record-high fuel prices, which the administration has linked to disruptions tied to the US-Israel war against Iran and reduced traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Trump announced after a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin that the two sides had agreed to supply large volumes of diesel to the global market, while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the government would act with whatever legal authority it has.

The decision has drawn criticism from Republicans and Democrats who say it could strengthen Russia’s war economy and undercut support for Ukraine. Tillis joined a bipartisan group of senators in a letter urging the administration to reverse course, and Representative Don Bacon also condemned the move. The report said the reaction highlights a split inside the Republican Party between lawmakers who favor continued backing for Kyiv and others more aligned with Trump’s skepticism toward Ukraine.