US Lawmakers Draft Bill to Block Russian Oil Purchases

Members of the US Congress are preparing bipartisan legislation to prohibit purchases of Russian petroleum, moving to challenge US President Donald Trump’s commercial agreement permitting Russian diesel imports onto American and global markets. The legislative initiative, titled the “Ronald Reagan Peace Through Strength Act,” is being drafted by Republican Representative Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, with Republican Representative Don Bacon of Nebraska confirming he will join as one of its initial co-sponsors.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. The bill aims to establish a statutory ban on purchasing Russian oil and petroleum products, seeking to reverse the administration’s regulatory exemptions and curtail revenues funding the Russian military. 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.” It will be forced to the Floor via discharge and it will pass overwhelmingly. #PeaceThroughStrength— Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick 🇺🇸 (@RepBrianFitz) October 10, 2026 In comments to Ukrainska Pravda, Bacon criticized the administration’s diesel agreement, characterizing the decision as a grave policy misstep that projects weakness toward the Kremlin while providing financial lifelines to Moscow’s defense sector. “Allowing the purchase of Russian diesel fuel gives money to the Russian economy and its war machine,” Bacon said. “A year ago, the president criticized Europeans for purchasing Russian gas. I completely disagree with this decision, and I consider the president’s policy regarding Russia and Ukraine a failure. I and ‘old school’ Republicans, supporters of Ronald Reagan, are deeply disappointed.” Other Topics of Interest Ukraine Should Keep Striking Russian Refineries, Kellogg Says The former envoy said that Putin’s diesel deal hides motives to pressure Ukraine to halt strikes, urging Kyiv to keep targeting Russian refineries. Bacon attributed the administration’s decision to domestic political calculations ahead of the upcoming midterm elections, noting that retail diesel prices approaching $6 per gallon have created pressure on voters. However, the lawmaker argued that the transactional approach undermines the nation’s strategic and moral standing. Writing on X, Fitzpatrick also reaffirmed congressional backing for Kyiv, stating that President Volodymyr Zelensky maintains the overwhelming support of lawmakers and the American public. “Russia illegally invaded Ukraine, a sovereign and freedom-loving nation, and Russia is squarely to blame for all damage and destruction, to both lives and treasure, that has resulted from Putin’s unprovoked attack,” Fitzpatrick stated. “We have your back, and we will stand with you until Ukrainian victory is achieved.” Congressional resistance to the Trump-Putin diesel arrangement The push for legislative intervention follows Trump’s announcement on Friday, Oct. 9, of a bilateral arrangement with Russian President Vladimir Putin to supply Russian diesel to American and international buyers. Under the terms announced by Trump following a telephone conversation with Putin, Moscow agreed to deliver 300,000 metric tons of diesel immediately, followed by 500,000 tons in November and 1 million tons thereafter, with prospective deliveries scaling up to 3 million tons depending on the operational status of Russian refineries. To enable the transactions, the US Treasury Department issued a temporary general license authorizing transactions involving Russian diesel fuel through April 7, 2027. The waiver was enacted only three weeks after Trump signed into law the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 on Sept. 18, a statute intended to expand secondary sanctions and tariff mechanisms across Russia’s energy, banking, and defense sectors. The announcement drew condemnation from Ukrainian officials, who noted that the deal coincided with multilateral peace consultations in Miami involving US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. President Zelensky characterized the timing of the Miami talks as a “smokescreen” for bilateral energy concessions. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha warned that offering economic accommodations to the Kremlin signals Western weakness, arguing that the Russian leadership interprets concessions as appeasement rather than an incentive to negotiate. Sybiha maintained that only an energy ceasefire – under which Russia halts attacks on Ukraine’s electrical and heating infrastructure in exchange for a pause in Ukrainian refinery strikes – can sustainably reduce fuel costs. Lawmakers backing the new bill argue that allowing Russian refined hydrocarbons back into Western supply chains directly contradicts allied efforts to starve Moscow’s wartime budget. The draft statute must be formally introduced in the House of Representatives and pass both chambers of Congress before it can be submitted to the president, setting up a potential legislative confrontation over executive sanctions waivers and energy trade with Russia. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 90% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.