WASHINGTON, Oct. 9 -- Sen. Richard Blumenthal issued text of the following press release:

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) released the statement below following Donald Trump's announcement that he had reached a deal with Vladimir Putin to lift sanctions on and obtain Russian diesel:

"The President's decision to lift sanctions on Russian diesel is an embarrassment and makes us complicit in Putin's war against Ukraine. This poorly concealed attempt to mitigate the havoc caused by Trump's illegal war in Iran will only benefit the Chinese and Russian economies and lead to the slaughter of more innocents in Ukraine. This agreement with a murdering dictator is a stain on our nation's character, an insult to Lindsey G...