US congressional Democrats prepare probe into Russian diesel deal

A group of Democratic senators and representatives urged the largest US banks and ports to preserve documents related to imports of Russian diesel fuel for a future investigation.

RuskiGazeta Editorial DeskOctober 26, 2026, 07:39 PMUpdated: October 27, 2026, 04:22 PM

US congressional Democrats prepare probe into Russian diesel deal

Democrats in the US Congress sent letters to the country’s six largest banks — JPMorgan, Bank of America, Citi, Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley — as well as the ports of Houston, Beaumont, Corpus Christi and New York/New Jersey, demanding that they preserve documents related to transactions involving Russian diesel fuel. The letters were made public on October 26.

The initiative was led by Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the senior Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The letters were also signed by Senators Chris Coons, Elizabeth Warren, Ron Wyden and Sheldon Whitehouse, as well as Representative Gregory Meeks. Republican Senator Thom Tillis also joined them; like Shaheen, he is not seeking another term.

Сенатор Джин Шахин (архив, 2025)

Democrats have pledged to examine in detail an arrangement by Donald Trump’s administration that allows Russia to supply diesel fuel to the United States if they gain control of at least one chamber of Congress after the November 3 election. They argue that the deal violates the 2022 law banning imports of Russian petroleum products. The White House disagrees, while the Treasury Department has repeatedly said the agreement is legal.

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control authorized the import of Russian diesel under a permit valid through April 2027. Earlier, five House Republicans and 17 Democrats urged Trump to cancel the deal and tighten sanctions against Russia.

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