Russian diesel tankers close in on US ports as Trump, Putin deal triggers legal showdown
Three tankers carrying Russian diesel are crossing the Atlantic toward U.S. ports, with a fourth set to depart soon, as President Donald Trump's fuel deal with Moscow draws opposition in...
By Fox News · Fox News
Three tankers carrying Russian diesel are crossing the Atlantic toward U.S. ports, with a fourth set to depart soon, as President Donald Trump's fuel deal with Moscow draws opposition in Congress and threats to investigate companies involved in the shipments. This came as a former Treasury Department sanction official confirmed to Fox News Digital that Trump has the legal authority to allow the imports despite a 2022 law banning Russian energy products, arguing that Washington's authorization does not eliminate the underlying prohibition. "The concern that the president has violated a law from 2022 that prohibits the importation is actually not founded in law, so the president certainly has the authority in this case to provide the authorization," Jeremy Paner , a partner at Hughes Hubbard & Reed, told Fox News Digital. TRUMP TRIES DIFFERENT APPROACH WITH RUSSIA TO BRING AMERICANS RELIEF AMID ONGOING WAR WITH UKRAINE Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak also confirmed the tanker movements Tuesday on the sidelines of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GEC) summit, saying a fourth vessel was expected to depart Russia Oct. 28. "There are three ships at the moment. The fourth has not yet departed," Novak said, according to TASS . The shipments, totaling around 140,000 metric tons, are the first authorized cargoes under an Oct. 9 agreement between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin temporarily permitting imports of Russian diesel. The administration followed the process to ease diesel prices amid supply disruptions linked to the war with Iran and Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries . The deal triggered opposition on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers argue the administration lacks the authority to bypass the Ending Importation of Russian Oil Act of 2022 without congressional approval. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., also escalated opposition on Tuesday, demanding that two shipping companies recall tankers carrying Russian diesel bound for U.S. port…