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I am deeply troubled by President Donald Trump’s deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to waive sanctions and allow Russia to sell diesel to the United States and the world. Experts say that the diesel we would get from Russia would do little to offset the price of diesel in the United States. Rather, this deal would aid an adversary in its illegal war against Ukraine, reverse current U.S. policy on Russia oil trade, and subvert past U.S. efforts to help Ukraine.
Are we willing to waste the billions of tax dollars we’ve spent defending Ukraine by aiding Russia at this critical time? Russia is currently testing the resolve of NATO to defend against military threats in Europe, is aiding Iran in its conflict with the U.S., and continues to attack Ukraine’s civilians and infrastructure as another winter approaches.
Congress just passed a bill directing the president to increase sanctions against Russia, but President Trump is moving in the opposite direction. What would the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, who the bill was named for, say?
I urge others to write to your representatives and ask them to speak out against the Russian diesel deal and to stop it.
Wally Jakubas
Hampden