Several Republican lawmakers objected to the deal and expressed support for Ukraine's president in his fight with Russia. U.S. allies also called him and underscored their backing for him.

“Now is the time to stand strong against Russian aggression as we did during the first Trump administration,” Pence wrote.

Only Russia is responsible for the war in Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday as he vowed to press ahead with strikes on Russian oil refineries, despite criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump,

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said that President Donald Trump’s decision to ease sanctions on Russia in order to allow Russia to release diesel fuel to the global market may be breaking the law.

Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to release 300,000 tons of diesel immediately and millions more over the coming months.

Experts said they believed that with modern testing technology, the Russian authorities should know the answer by now.

Britain unveiled sanctions targeting Russian oil companies, its shadow fleet of tankers and those accused of supplying the Kremlin with goods.

The move comes weeks ahead of the midterm elections.