Senator Richard Blumenthal sent a message to shipping companies to reverse course on transporting Russian diesel to US ports.
Posted by Deadline: White House, Checked
- Sources
- 6 support
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 92%
Deadline: White HouseOct 28, 2026
Blumenthal's own October 27, 2026 press release says he wrote to two shipping companies demanding they recall tankers carrying Russian diesel to US ports, and multiple outlets dated October 28 report his 'reverse course while there's still time' message. The claim is a faithful paraphrase of the posted quote and is supported as of 2026-10-28.
This claim is about the present, so it is judged as of the day it was checked.
What was said
… Congressman Jamie Raskin, the House Judiciary ranking member, is warning oil companies that they will, quote, be held accountable if they import any barrels of Russian diesel fuel under the deal that Trump struck with the Kremlin. And Senator Richard Blumenthal said this, quote, "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." How much teeth are in those threats? Well, I think that people in business, people in private industry, who are choosing to do deals with this government are certainly taking risks that they will be investigated in the future, and the risks that they are …
Deadline: White House · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. Blumenthal's official Senate press release (Oct 27) states he wrote to shipping companies demanding they recall tankers carrying Russian diesel intended for US ports.[1]
Supports. Kyiv Independent and Yahoo report Blumenthal's letter to EASTMED's managing director urging recall of the Agioi Fanendes, with his 'sledgehammer message' and 'reverse course' language.[2][3]
Supports. Maritime Executive, RBC-Ukraine and NV.ua independently report the letter and social media message urging shipping companies to turn tankers around.[4][5][6]
Context. The claim's wording matches the quoted post; the letter and social message were sent to specific companies (EASTMED and PetroVietnam) and the vessels' destinations are described in the press release.[1]
Sources
6 sources: 1 primary, 5 not rated
- 1Blumenthal Demands Shipping Companies Recall Tankers ...blumenthal.senate.gov · primary source · cited for: supports, context
- 2US senator tells ships carrying Russian diesel to turn aroundkyivindependent.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 3US senator tells ships carrying Russian diesel to turn around - Yahooyahoo.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 4US senator urges shipping companies to turn back tankers carrying Russian dieselnewsukraine.rbc.ua · not rated · cited for: supports
- 5U.S. Senator Calls Out Greek Shipowner Over Cargo of Russian ...maritime-executive.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 6Sen. Blumenthal demands Russian diesel tanker turn aroundenglish.nv.ua · not rated · cited for: supports
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
Related claims
- Four Republicans and three Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee issued a statement claiming that importing Russian diesel violates the law.True
- Congressman Jamie Raskin warned oil companies that they will be held accountable if they import Russian diesel fuel under a deal struck by Donald Trump with the Kremlin.True
- The United States has purchased fuel from Russia after the United States hit refineries in Russia.Can’t tell
- President Trump lifted sanctions on Russian diesel.True
- The U.S. Ambassador to NATO stated that Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries have put pressure on global diesel and oil prices.True