Bill Would Cancel Waiver for 300,000 Metric Tons of Russian Diesel

A House bill would undo a Treasury Department waiver issued on October 9 that authorized transactions involving Russian diesel fuel, including imports into the United States. The waiver is scheduled to run through April 7, 2027.

Representative Brian Fitzpatrick, a Pennsylvania Republican who co-chairs the Congressional Ukraine Caucus, introduced the Ronald Reagan Peace Through Strength Act of 2026. Representatives Don Bacon of Nebraska and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington are co-sponsors. The measure has been referred to three House committees.

The bill would also bar future waivers covering Russian energy imports and require intelligence agencies to support Ukraine's defense. Agencies would have to notify the congressional intelligence committees within 24 hours of any interruption in that support.

President Donald Trump announced the waiver after talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump said Russia had agreed to immediately supply more than 300,000 metric tons of diesel to U.S. and global markets, with additional volumes to follow. He framed the arrangement as a way to expand supply and lower prices, noting diesel costs have risen amid disruptions tied to the war in Iran.

"We must not import a single drop of Russian oil," Fitzpatrick said. Bacon told RFE/RL that "Congress must be a check to the president's egregious appeasement to Putin." Gluesenkamp Perez said that if Trump wants lower gasoline prices, he should work to end the war in Iran rather than direct American money toward Russia.

On satellite access, eight lawmakers from both parties wrote to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth asking the Pentagon to expand its Starshield contract and guarantee uninterrupted service for Ukraine. The group includes Representatives Marcy Kaptur, Fitzpatrick and Mike Quigley, and Senators Mark Kelly, Thom Tillis and Elissa Slotkin. They requested restored speeds, coverage for lawful Ukrainian operations including over Russian territory, and a transition from commercial Starlink to government-contracted Starshield, and suggested using the Defense Production Act because service decisions "should not be left solely to the discretion of a private provider."

Restrictions imposed on October 13 disrupted communications for drones and other platforms moving faster than 100 miles per hour, according to Ukrainian reports, hindering the guidance of defensive drones. Ukrainian officials reported on October 24 that satellite connection speeds had been restored. Who imposed the earlier limits remains unclear.

Representative Gregory Meeks and Senator Peter Welch led six lawmakers in questioning Elon Musk's account that the military and the president decided on the restrictions, citing reports that Musk proposed them. Senator Richard Blumenthal has demanded written answers from Musk by November 5 and a SpaceX briefing by November 12. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has denied that Trump or other officials ordered or knew of the restrictions.

Tillis wrote on X that whoever is handing Putin "the gift of a more vulnerable Ukraine" should "have the guts to put their name on it." The Treasury waiver expires on April 7, 2027.