Lawmakers Seek to Bar Russian Fuel Imports and Protect Ukraine Satellite Links

A bipartisan coalition in Congress is moving against two policies it says could weaken Ukraine's position: a Treasury waiver allowing Russian diesel into the United States and reported restrictions on satellite service used by Ukrainian forces.

The Treasury Department issued the waiver on October 9, authorizing transactions involving Russian diesel fuel, including imports to the U.S. The authorization expires on April 7, 2027. At a later summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, President Donald Trump said Moscow had agreed to supply more than 300,000 metric tons of diesel to U.S. and global markets, with additional volumes to follow. Trump said the arrangement would expand global diesel supplies and bring prices down, and diesel costs have climbed sharply amid supply disruptions tied to the war in Iran.

Representative Brian Fitzpatrick, Republican of Pennsylvania and co-chair of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus, introduced the Ronald Reagan Peace Through Strength Act of 2026 to revoke the waiver and bar future ones covering Russian energy imports. Republican Don Bacon of Nebraska and Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington are co-sponsors, and the measure has been referred to three House committees. The bill also would direct intelligence agencies to support Ukraine's defense and to notify congressional intelligence committees within 24 hours of any interruption in that support. Bacon said, "Congress must be a check to the president's egregious appeasement to Putin," and accused the president of reversing his own earlier criticism of Europe for purchasing Russian energy. Gluesenkamp Perez said that if Trump wants lower gasoline prices, he should work to end the war in Iran rather than steer American money toward Russia. Fitzpatrick said, "We must not import a single drop of Russian oil."

Separately, eight lawmakers from both parties, among them Representatives Marcy Kaptur, Fitzpatrick and Mike Quigley and Senators Mark Kelly, Thom Tillis and Elissa Slotkin, asked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to widen the Pentagon's Starshield contract and guarantee uninterrupted service. They requested restored speeds, adequate coverage for Ukraine's lawful military operations including over Russian territory, and a smooth handoff from commercial Starlink to government-contracted Starshield. They also raised using the Defense Production Act, writing that service decisions "should not be left solely to the discretion of a private provider."

Restrictions on Starlink and Starshield were reported to have begun on October 13. Ukrainian reports say they disrupted communications for drones and other platforms moving faster than 100 miles per hour, hindering the guidance of defensive drones. On October 24, Ukrainian officials said satellite connection speeds had been restored. A Ukrainian official familiar with the matter told RFE/RL that SpaceX had not answered Kyiv about the earlier limits and that no explanation had been given for what happened or what comes next. Who imposed the restrictions remains unclear.

Several Democrats are seeking answers. Representative Gregory Meeks and Senator Peter Welch led six lawmakers in questioning Elon Musk's claim that the military and the president decided on the restrictions, citing reports that Musk himself proposed them. Senator Richard Blumenthal has demanded written answers from Musk by November 5 and a SpaceX briefing by November 12. Representatives Sam Liccardo, Ro Khanna and Jimmy Panetta have asked White House chief of staff Susie Wiles for a government-wide investigation. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has denied that Trump or other officials ordered or knew of the restrictions. Tillis wrote on X that whoever is handing Putin "the gift of a more vulnerable Ukraine" should "have the guts to put their name on it."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said the limits remained in place despite Trump's statement, made after contacting Musk, that service had been restored.