House Bill Seeks to Cancel 300,000-Ton Russian Diesel Deal

A bipartisan group of House members introduced legislation on October 24 to cancel a Treasury Department waiver that authorized the import of Russian diesel fuel. The Ronald Reagan Peace Through Strength Act of 2026 targets the specific authorization issued on October 9, which allowed transactions involving more than 300,000 metric tons of Russian diesel.

Representative Brian Fitzpatrick, a Republican from Pennsylvania, introduced the bill alongside co-sponsors Republican Don Bacon of Nebraska and Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington. The measure would bar any future waivers for Russian energy imports and require intelligence agencies to notify congressional committees within 24 hours of any interruption to Ukraine's defense support. The bill has been referred to three House committees for review.

The waiver is scheduled to expire on April 7, 2027. President Donald Trump defended the arrangement as a strategy to expand global diesel supplies and lower consumer prices. He announced the deal following talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, stating that Russia agreed to provide additional volumes to US and global markets. Diesel prices have risen sharply due to energy supply disruptions linked to the war in Iran.

Fitzpatrick argued that the waiver undercuts a 2022 federal ban on Russian oil imports. He stated that the United States must not import a single drop of Russian oil. Bacon described the legislation as a necessary check on the president's policy, accusing the administration of reversing its past criticism of Europe for buying Russian energy. Gluesenkamp Perez suggested that ending the war in Iran would be a more effective way to lower gasoline prices than directing American money to Russia.

The legislative push coincides with disputes over satellite communications. Eight lawmakers, including Representatives Marcy Kaptur, Fitzpatrick, and Mike Quigley, and Senators Mark Kelly, Thom Tillis, and Elissa Slotkin, urged Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to expand the Pentagon's Starshield contract. They requested guaranteed uninterrupted service and a smooth transition from commercial Starlink to government-contracted Starshield. The group suggested using the Defense Production Act to prevent service decisions from resting solely with a private provider.

Ukrainian reports indicate that restrictions imposed on October 13 disrupted communications for drones and other platforms moving faster than 100 miles per hour. These disruptions hindered the guidance of defensive drones. Ukrainian officials reported on October 24 that satellite connection speeds had been restored, though they noted that SpaceX had not explained the earlier limits. A Ukrainian official told RFE/RL that Kyiv remains in contact with the US government but that no one has explained what will happen next.

Senator Richard Blumenthal has demanded written answers from Elon Musk by November 5 and a SpaceX briefing by November 12. Representatives Sam Liccardo, Ro Khanna, and Jimmy Panetta have asked White House chief of staff Susie Wiles for a government-wide investigation. Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied that President Trump or other officials ordered or knew of the restrictions. Senator Thom Tillis wrote that whoever is handing Putin a more vulnerable Ukraine should have the guts to put their name on it.