Senator John Cornyn said allowing Russian diesel fuel to be sold freely in global markets, including in the United States, weakens American security interests and helps fund Vladimir Putin’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. He said he joined 11 Senate colleagues in a bipartisan letter to the president urging him to rescind the deal with Putin. The Texas Republican posted the statement on Tuesday.
“Allowing Russian diesel fuel to be sold freely in global markets, including in the United States, weakens American security interests and helps fund Putin’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine,” Cornyn wrote Tuesday. “Today, I joined 11 of my Senate colleagues in a bipartisan letter to [The President of the United States] urging him to rescind this deal with Putin. We must maintain economic pressure to keep our negotiating position strong and protect vital U.S. national security interests.” The post does not name the other signatories or link the letter. No matching release appeared on his Senate site that day.
The license is the deal on the record. The Office of Foreign Assets Control issued General License No. 135 on Oct. 9. The license text authorizes, except as provided in paragraph (b), all transactions prohibited by the Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR part 587, or the Ukraine-/Russia-Related Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR part 589, that are related to the sale, delivery, offloading, or importation, including into the United States, of diesel fuel of Russian Federation origin, through 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on April 7, 2027. Paragraph (b) excludes debits to accounts of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, the National Wealth Fund, or the Ministry of Finance. It does not mention Ukraine or security interests. Cornyn’s post treats the license as the deal to rescind. The license does not address that claim.
Cornyn previously supported the broader sanctions law. A Sept. 21 release on his site said he cosponsored the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act. A White House notice confirmed the signing of H.R. 5334 on Sept. 18. Member descriptions include termination conditions requiring a certification of Russian cessation of hostilities. No such certification is on a White House page. Cornyn’s Tuesday post does not cite the act.
The letter is described as bipartisan. Cornyn’s post says he joined 11 colleagues. It does not list names or party affiliations. No Senate website or congressional record posted Tuesday carries the letter text. The post is the public statement of its existence and purpose.
Trump’s Oct. 11 Truth Social post announced an energy ceasefire and said both parties had agreed. No White House release defines the terms or confirms Russian acceptance. Cornyn’s post addresses the diesel license, not the ceasefire announcement. It does not mention the ceasefire.
No Treasury or White House release posted this week responds to the letter or announces a rescission. The license remains in effect. Cornyn’s post calls for economic pressure to maintain negotiating position and protect national security interests. Those characterizations are his.
“Weakens American security interests,” “helps fund Putin’s ongoing invasion,” and “rescind this deal” are Cornyn’s. The Oct. 9 license, the Sept. 18 signing of the Graham Act, and the absence of a certification or a public letter text are the records. The gap is between a senator describing a bipartisan request to rescind the diesel license and the absence of the letter itself or a White House response on a government page.