US Senator Richard Blumenthal is pressuring shipowner Thanassis Martinos to recall a tanker carrying Russian diesel bound for the US. The move opens a new front in Congress’s dispute with President Donald Trump over imports of Russian fuel.
The Democratic senator, who represents Connecticut, sent a letter to the chief executive of Eastern Mediterranean Maritime (EastMed). He called on the company to change the course of the tanker Agioi Fanendes and avoid any future transactions to import Russian diesel.
“Turn the vessel around while there is still time,” Blumenthal wrote. According to TradeWinds, the senator argues that the shipment violates US law banning imports of Russian petroleum products.
The Greek-owned tanker
The Greek-owned tanker, with a capacity of 50,000 dwt and built in 2019, is reportedly carrying the first diesel cargo to the US. The shipment is part of the deal struck by Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. It is expected to arrive in New York on 7 November, according to reports.
The deal was announced nearly two weeks before the report was published. It provides for the shipment of 1.8 million tonnes of diesel from Russia to the US, with the option to increase the volume to 4.8 million tonnes.
The Trump administration subsequently moved to grant sanctions exemptions for the shipments, prompting a backlash in Congress. In his letter to Martinos, Blumenthal cited a law signed by former President Joe Biden. He argues that the licence issued by the US Treasury Department cannot override the legislation.
“The president may have granted a licence to facilitate this transaction, but only Congress can make it legal,” Blumenthal wrote. The senator argues that conflicting guidance from the US government is no justification for circumventing the prohibitions.
TradeWinds reported that it had sought comment from Eastern Mediterranean Maritime on the letter.
PetroVietnam also targeted
Blumenthal also wrote to PetroVietnam chairman Le Ngoc Son, calling for the tanker PVT Azura, with a capacity of 19,900 dwt, to be recalled. The vessel had departed St Petersburg carrying nearly 109,000 barrels of diesel.
Based on vessel-tracking data, the ship was expected to arrive in Norfolk, Virginia, on Monday. The senator also sought information about the cargo’s seller and buyer, as well as the vessel’s charterer and insurers.
Russian authorities said three tankers had already departed for the US, with a fourth expected to follow. They included the Talisman, with a capacity of 46,700 dwt, owned by Russia’s Sovcomflot. The vessel was heading to Boston after leaving Primorsk. The Chinese-owned Leruo, by contrast, was reportedly heading for South America.
Legal dispute
At the heart of the dispute is the 2022 Ending Importation of Russian Oil Act, which banned imports of Russian oil into the US. The law provides that the president cannot end the ban without certifying to Congress that Russia has withdrawn its forces from Ukraine.
However, as a lawyer specialising in sanctions points out, the US government did not repeal the ban but issued a general licence. In the lawyer’s view, the relevant authorisation falls within the president’s powers, since the legislation also refers to Joe Biden’s Executive Order 14066.
The legality of the shipments is therefore disputed between the senator and the administration, and does not appear to have been definitively ruled on by a court.
Blumenthal’s initiative is not the only effort in Congress. A bipartisan group of senators, led by Jeanne Shaheen, sent letters to banks, port authorities and fuel distributors warning of the legal risks.
The initiative was joined by Democrats Ron Wyden, Sheldon Whitehouse, Chris Coons and Elizabeth Warren, as well as Republican Tom Tillis. Gregory Meeks, the senior Democrat on the House committee, also took part.
The senators warned that imports of Russian diesel could prompt legal action and investigations. They also noted that companies knowingly buying Russian fuel could face civil or criminal penalties. The dispute highlights the risks facing those involved in transporting the cargoes.