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President Donald Trump on Monday defended last week's decision to temporarily ease restrictions on Russian diesel fuel exports after the announcement drew bipartisan criticism. Trump, in a Truth Social post, accused the media of hypocrisy for allegedly refusing to cover past purchases of Russian energy by the European Union. "The European Union paid Russia 250 Billion Dollars for Energy, and the Fake News Media doesn't want to get near that story," Trump wrote. While the president did not specify, his figure roughly tracks with some estimates of how much the EU has spent importing fossil fuels from Russia since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The European Commission has launched a plan to phase out its dependence on Russian energy. "I made the right choice for the American People — ALWAYS, AMERICA FIRST!" Trump wrote in the social media post. Lawmakers from both parties raised concerns about Trump's decision to let Russia supply some diesel to the U.S. and global markets for the next six months. The plan received pushback from multiple congressional Republicans who have urged Trump not to lift the U.S. ban on energy imports from Russia until its president, Vladimir Putin, ends the war against Ukraine. "The United States should not provide Putin with a financial lifeline while Russia continues to kill Ukrainian civilians," a group of seven senators, including four Republicans, said in a joint statement on Sunday. Other Republicans have also raised issues with Trump's deal. "While I understand the desire to bring down diesel prices, I am concerned the lifting of sanctions on Russian oil will only fund the Kremlin's war machine—emboldening more violence and destruction, as we have seen in recent days," Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, said Friday. Trump, whose party is staring down a potentially tough midterm election that has coincided with widespread economic dissatisfaction, says the plan he coordinated with Putin will help bring down sky-high diesel prices. Some analysts say the policy won't make much of a dent, however. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday that the U.S. easing sanctions on Moscow "plays into Russia's hands."
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