U.S. Congress strikes back: Bipartisan bill barring U.S. purchase of Russian oil on the horizon

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) announced on Saturday he would be introducing a bipartisan bill aimed at stopping President Trump from lifting sanctions on Russian oil amid global fuel shortages, The Hill reports.

“We will be introducing bipartisan legislation to block any and all purchases of Russian oil. It will be called the ‘Ronald Reagan Peace Through Strength Act,’” Fitzpatrick wrote on social media.

He added that he will force a vote on the bill through a discharge petition and that he believes “it will overwhelmingly” pass.

“I’ve already agreed to be an original cosponsor,” Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) wrote on social media. “Congress must make a stand.”

Trump’s deal, which was announced Friday, permits Russia to supply 300,000 tons of diesel to the U.S. and the global marketplace. Moscow already confirmed its readiness to supply oil and petroleum to the U.S. and global markets, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a statement, according to Russian state media.

On Saturday, Ukrainian Zelensky warned the deal signaled to Russia that “it could simply keep attacking” his country. Trump responded, telling reporters outside the White House that Zelensky “could have settled this war many times,” but “chose not to.”

“I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal,” the President Trump continued.

The deal drew criticism from both sides of the aisle, including Rep. Gabe Amo (D-R.I.), who sits on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

“After signing a law to ramp up sanctions on Russia, Trump is paying Putin for oil to deal with the high gas prices caused by his choice of war with Iran? That’s not punishing Putin, that’s profit,” Amo wrote on social media, adding, “Make it make sense.”

In 2022, Congress passed a bill to ban the imports of Russian oil and authorize further sanctions but it contained an exception for the president to allow energy that was already purchased before the legislation passed, or in cases where the importation would be in the national interest.

WSJ: “Trump’s broadside against Zelensky marks the lowest point in the two leaders’ relationship”

President Trump called on Ukraine to replace Zelensky as its leader and piled pressure on Kyiv to stop airstrikes against Russian oil refineries, a day after the U.S. leader announced a deal to boost Moscow’s diesel exports. The broadside against Zelensky marks the lowest point in the two leaders’ relationship since their shouting match in the Oval Office early after Trump’s return to the White House in 2025, and risks undermining 18 months of European efforts to persuade Trump to maintain U.S. support for Ukraine and pressure on Russia, The Wall Street Journal notes.

“I think it’s time for Ukraine to get a new president,” Trump told reporters on Saturday, blaming Zelensky for Russia’s continuing war on the country — and Kyiv’s airstrikes for high diesel prices in the U.S. and worldwide. “He better damn well stop,” Trump said.

The clash comes a day after Trump announced an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin to supply Russian diesel to the U.S. and world markets, which Trump said would help to reduce fuel prices. Energy analysts say the announced quantities of Russian diesel are limited and that the U.S.-Iran conflict is the main reason for the increase in fuel prices this year.

Zelensky didn’t immediately respond to Trump’s comments.

At a meeting in Miami on Friday with Ukrainian officials, the White House’s negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff repeatedly mentioned all of the assistance the U.S. has provided Ukraine, including the sharing of U.S. intelligence, and said Kyiv should comply with Trump’s requests to stop the refinery strikes, according to four people familiar with the conversation.

No explicit threat was made to cut off intelligence, according to two people present at the meeting. But it was easy to see an implied threat, according to one of these people and other officials briefed on the conversation.

A U.S. official denied that any threat, implicit or explicit, was made at the meeting.

Ukrainian officials say they will continue to hit Russian refineries, which generate money and fuel for Moscow’s war effort, unless Russia also agrees to stop bombing Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Putin has rejected a mutual pause.

The diesel deal has drawn condemnation from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers and prompted some to reassert their support for Zelensky.

Trump on Saturday blamed Zelensky for the lack of a peace deal. “I suggest they get a new leader who can make a deal,” he said. “Zelensky could have settled this war many times. He chooses not to.”

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