US bill targets Trump-Putin diesel deal and Russian energy investments

On Friday, October 16, U.S. Representative Gregory Meeks introduced a bill to block the diesel agreement between President Donald Trump and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and ban investments in Russian energy. The bill prohibits the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation from funding Russian energy, revokes general licenses issued by the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control, and mandates sanctions against Russia's energy sector. Meeks said the deal gives Putin millions while Americans pay for Trump's failed Iran war. The legislation follows Trump's October 9 call with Putin announcing Russian diesel shipments to U.S. and global markets, which Trump claimed would lower prices. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov disputed this, saying the impact would be limited. A bipartisan group of senators had previously urged Trump to reverse course on the deal.