Fitzpatrick leads push to scrap Russian diesel waiver
A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced legislation to block 300,000 metric tons of Russian fuel imports while demanding guaranteed satellite access for Ukraine.
By Rebecca Dawson ·
The cost of imported Russian diesel will no longer be the deciding factor for a coalition of US legislators who moved on Friday to overturn a recent executive waiver. Representative Brian Fitzpatrick, a Pennsylvania Republican, introduced a bill to cancel the authorization that allows transactions involving Russian diesel fuel. The measure seeks to prevent the United States from importing more than 300,000 metric tons of the fuel that President Donald Trump announced would enter global markets following talks with Vladimir Putin.
The legislative effort responds to a Treasury Department waiver issued on October 9, 2026. That order permitted imports of Russian diesel, a move that Trump defended as a strategy to expand global supplies and lower prices. Diesel prices had risen sharply due to energy supply disruptions linked to the war in Iran. The new bill, the Ronald Reagan Peace Through Strength Act of 2026, would revoke the current waiver, which is scheduled to expire on April 7, 2027, and prohibit future waivers for Russian energy imports.
Fitzpatrick is joined on the bill by Republican Don Bacon of Nebraska and Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington. The legislation also mandates that intelligence agencies support Ukraine's defense. It requires those agencies to notify congressional intelligence committees within 24 hours if any support is interrupted. The measure is currently under review by three House committees. Sponsors argue the waiver undermines a federal ban on Russian oil imports established in 2022.
The energy dispute coincides with a separate conflict over satellite communications. Reports emerged that Ukraine’s access to SpaceX’s Starlink and Starshield systems had been restricted. Ukrainian officials stated that these disruptions affected military operations, particularly the guidance of defensive drones moving faster than 100 miles per hour. Zelenskyy noted that limits remained in place despite Trump’s claim that service had been restored after contact with Elon Musk.
On October 24, Ukrainian officials reported that satellite connection speeds had been restored. However, a Ukrainian official told RFE/RL that SpaceX had not explained the earlier limits. Kyiv has been in contact with the US government, but no one has clarified what happened or what will happen next. Eight lawmakers, including Representatives Marcy Kaptur and Mike Quigley and Senators Mark Kelly, Thom Tillis and Elissa Slotkin, urged Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to expand the Pentagon’s Starshield contract.
These lawmakers requested that the Department of Defense guarantee uninterrupted service with adequate coverage for Ukraine's military operations, including over Russian territory. They suggested using the Defense Production Act to ensure service decisions are not left solely to a private provider. Several Democrats are also seeking answers from Musk, who claimed the military and the president decided on the restrictions. Senator Richard Blumenthal has demanded written answers from Musk by November 5.
Fitzpatrick stated, "We must not import a single drop of Russian oil." Bacon told RFE/RL that Congress must check the president’s approach to Putin. Gluesenkamp Perez said Trump should work to end the war in Iran rather than steer American money toward Russia. 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."
Source: RFE/RL
