- Category
- World
“Turn Around While There is Still Time”: US Senator Demands Tanker Carrying Russian Fuel Reverse Its Course
Prefer U24 Media on Google
- Authors
![Photo of Katherina Popilnichenko]( "Photo of Katherina Popilnichenko")
-c439b7bd9030ecf9d5a4287dc361ba31.jpg "Photo of Katherina Popilnichenko")
US Senator Richard Blumenthal has publicly urged maritime operators to redirect vessels carrying illegal shipments of Russian diesel fuel destined for American ports.
In a statement shared on social platform X, the lawmaker highlighted the movement of the Agioi Fanendes, a Malta-flagged tanker transporting approximately 40,000 metric tons of Russian fuel toward the Port of New York and New Jersey.
We bring you stories from the ground. Your support keeps our team in the field.
The vessel departed a Russian terminal on October 22 and is scheduled to reach its US destination on November 7. Addressing the managing director of Greece-based Eastern Mediterranean Maritime Limited (EASTMED), Blumenthal demanded that the company alter the ship's course immediately.
I’m sending a sledgehammer message to shipping companies whose tankers are transporting illegal Russian diesel to our ports. Reverse course while there’s still time. pic.twitter.com/4sViosX3nM
— Richard Blumenthal (@SenBlumenthal) October 28, 2026
The lawmaker dispatched a formal letter to EASTMED managing director Athanasios Martinos, establishing an October 31 deadline for the firm to supply critical operational details.
His inquiry demands full identification of the seller, buyer, charterer, insurer, terminal operator, and entity managing the subsequent distribution of the cargo.
Additionally, Blumenthal questioned whether the shipping firm had received guidance or instructions regarding this delivery from the US Department of the Treasury or other federal regulators.
Blumenthal stressed that discharging Russian refined oil products at American facilities violates existing federal law.
He cited the Ending Importation of Russian Oil Act enacted in 2022, which explicitly bans the import of Russian energy goods into the United States.
Addressing General License No. 135 issued by the US Department of the Treasury, the senator insisted that administrative authorizations cannot supersede statutory measures passed by Congress.
He stated, “The President may have issued a license to facilitate this transaction, but only Congress can make it legally valid.” Warning maritime operators that administrative waivers will not clear them of liability, he added, “Turn around while there is still time. If you deliver the diesel, you will violate a very explicit law passed in 2022 that prohibits the importation of Russian fuel. No president can unilaterally override a law.”
-967a62f3fc95ac4bf7e6f69e6b26f128.jpg)
Previously, it was reported that American businesses faced severe legal warnings after Representative Jamie Raskin cautioned that importing Russian diesel could lead to fines of up to $1 million and up to 20 years in prison, despite President Donald Trump’s fuel agreement with Moscow.
Raskin sent a letter to major industry groups, stating that the administration could not unilaterally override the federal import ban that Congress passed following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
He stressed that those who participated in the deal acted at their own risk, as statutory restrictions required congressional approval and specific conditions regarding Ukraine to be met before any energy ban could be lifted.
Discuss this article:
-72b63a4e0c8c475ad81fe3eed3f63729.jpeg "Photo of Cyril Barabaltchouk")