Mira Bhakta
Sat, October 10, 2026
THE HILL
Several Republicans voiced objections to the Trump administration Russian diesel deal and President Trump's suggestion that Ukraine needed a new leader.
When asked about the deal, Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said on Friday he supported the president's decision but he doesn't "support his decision to import it from Putin. Vladimir Putin is a butcher. He's a butcher of his own people. And he's a butcher of the good people of Ukraine."
"He [Putin] will never be our friend. So the president is doing everything he can to get diesel prices down. But you know what's going to bring diesel prices down? An end to the war in Iran," he continued.
A reporter pressed former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), who appeared alongside Kennedy while campaigning for Michigan's open Senate seat, on whether he agreed with the president's decision.
"No, not in importing it from Russia. I've actually called for a temporary export ban just to try to give some relief while farmers are out harvesting," Rogers stated.
The deal would permit Russia to supply 300,000 tons of diesel to the U.S. and the global marketplace amid growing pressure to address concerns over mounting energy costs due to global fuel shortages during the U.S.'s military operations against Iran and the Russia-Ukraine war.
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) unveiled a bipartisan bill on Saturday that he says would block Trump from lifting sanctions, called the Ronald Reagan Peace Through Strength Act. Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) already signed on as a co-sponsor though it is unclear who the Democratic sponsor on the bill is.
"[Ukrainian] President Volodymyr Zelensky has the overwhelming support of the United States Congress, he has the overwhelming support of the American people, and he has the overwhelming support of the Ukrainian people," Fitzpatrick wrote on social media.
Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), former Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, stated he was "concerned the lifting of sanctions on Russian oil will only fund the Kremlin's war machine—emboldening more violence and destruction, as we have seen in recent days."
He added that Congress already passed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act which "gave the president significant authorities and leverage against China and Russia to bring Putin's war to an end with a negotiated settlement."
In September, Trump signed the act, calling for the president to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on the top five purchasers of Russian energy or on countries helping the Kremlin evade sanctions.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) similarly expressed on social platform X that Trump "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," she said.
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Ukraine strikes major Russian oil hub hours after Trump's deal with Putin
James Bickerton
Sat, October 10, 2026
NEWSWEEK
The loading terminal of Russia's Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery caught fire overnight following reports of a Ukrainian drone strike just hours after President Trump announced a deal to supply millions of tons of Russian diesel fuel to the global market.
The incident suggests Kyiv will continue targeting Russian energy infrastructure despite pressure from the United States, with the Trump administration hoping energy costs will come down ahead of the November midterm elections.
Newsweek contacted the Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministries for comment on Saturday by email.
The Fire
Overnight a large blaze broke out at the Novoshakhtinsk oil loading terminal in Rostov-on-Don with footage shared on social media showing intense smoke and flames emanating from the facility. The videos have not been independently authenticated by Newsweek.
Independent Russian media outlet ASTRA confirmed the video showed the Yug Rusi oil-loading terminal, which handles production from the nearby Novoshakhtinsk Oil Refinery.
According to Exilenova+, a Telegram monitoring channel following the Ukrainian conflict, the fire followed a large Ukrainian drone strike on the region.
Russian state news agency RIA Novosti, citing Rostov-on-Don governor Yury Slyusar, said over 100 drones had been shot down by air defenses in the region overnight but didn't directly address the oil loading terminal fire.
On X, risk analyst Brett Erickson shared footage purported to be from the oil loading terminal fire, adding: "BREAKING: Just mere hours after President Trump announced the unsanctioning of Russian diesel, Ukraine responded by striking the Novoshakhtinsk oil terminal inside of Russia. It seems Ukraine is back to imposing their own sanctions on Putin."
Video was also shared by UNITED24 Media, an X account with 110,000 followers that reports on the Ukraine war, which said: "More than 100 drones were reportedly shot down over Russia's Rostov region, according to local authorities.
"Drones reportedly targeted an oil loading terminal operated by the Novoshakhtinsk Oil Products Plant."
Trump's Deal
President Trump on Friday announced Russia would supply additional diesel fuel to U.S. and world markets following what he called a "highly successful discussion" with the country's President Vladimir Putin.
In a post on his Truth Social website Trump wrote: "It was agreed that Russia will immediately supply over 300,000 Tons of Diesel Fuel to the American and Global Marketplace, another 500,000 Tons during the month of November, and 1,000,000 Tons immediately thereafter."
The president said Russia had agreed to supply another three million tons of diesel fuel in the long-term adding: "Diesel Prices for Americans and, indeed, the World, will be COMING DOWN, IN RECORD NUMBERS, AND FAST!"
Speaking to Newsweek a White House official confirmed the Treasury Department had issued Russia-related General License 135, allowing the diesel fuel to enter the United States.
Stock photograph showing smoke rising from the area of the Russian oil producer Gazprom Neft's Moscow oil refinery as seen from Dzerzhinsky in the Moscow region on September 20, 2026. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images)More
However, the agreement sparked an angry response from Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky who said the deal would be used by Moscow to fund "further terror."
Zelensky added: "We count on America's fair support for our defence of life, for our defence of people in Ukraine, and on the United States having a correspondingly strong conversation with Russia. A strong one, not a weak one."
European Union foreign affairs head Kaja Kallas also criticized the move which she said "provides Moscow with more revenues to wage war."
Speaking to the BBC Tim Armitage, an investment strategist who works for Quilter Cheviot, said the amount of diesel fuel Russia had agreed to release was "relatively small" adding: "So it won't make a material difference to pump prices in the U.S."
Diesel fuel prices increased by 70 percent in the United States following President Trump's decision to launch military action against Iran in February according to Reuters. This has heightened inflation ahead of the midterm elections with polling showing most Americans don't approve of Trump's handling of the economy.
Ukraine's Energy Campaign
Over recent months Ukraine has launched an intense drone campaign targeting Russian energy infrastructure including oil refineries, export terminals and fuel depots.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA) in June Russian refinery output fell to its lowest level in 30 years due to strikes by August only five of Russia's major refineries had escaped damage from Ukrainian drones.
The IEA said the increased strikes were the result of "dramatic expansion of Ukraine's technological and military capabilities" adding that during the first six months of 2026 a Russian refinery was hit once every three days on average.
Ukraine's oil facility strikes have led to fuel shortages in some parts of Russia with long lines forming for what is available.
However, the move has angered Trump who in September said Zelensky "has to stop knocking out diesel fuel in Russia" as this was "causing a shortage of diesel fuel."
According to Axios the Trump administration has made multiple requests to Ukraine to stop striking Russian energy facilities but this has been ignored by Kyiv. The outlet said Ukraine offered to halt attacks in exchange for Russia ending its attacks on Ukrainian power plants but there's no indication Moscow will agree to this.
Russian Strikes
Russia has launched a number of devastating missile and drone strikes on Ukraine over the past few weeks causing dozens of fatalities.
On Sunday Ukrainian authorities said 17 people, including three children, were killed by a Russia attack in the city of Zaporizhzhia.
A series of Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, in the early hours of October 7 killed 25 civilians, of whom five were children, according to Kyiv.
Ukraine has accused Russia of deliberately hitting civilian targets, though this has been denied by Moscow.
Contact Newsweek editor on this story: Edward Pearcey.
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