US Democratic senators call for sanctions waiver for Russian oil not to be extended

A group of Democratic senators in the US Congress has urged US President Donald Trump's administration not to extend the sanctions waiver for Russian oil loaded onto tankers, which is set to expire today.

Source: European Pravda; letter published by Democrat Richard Blumenthal

Details: Six Democratic senators signed a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent calling for the waiver not to be extended due to the war in the Middle East. In addition to Blumenthal, the signatories include Jeanne Shaheen, Sheldon Whitehouse, Christopher Coons, Jacky Rosen and Mark Kelly.

"We strongly urge the Department not to extend this licence. This policy, however temporary or limited in scope, risks providing the Russian Federation with a continued stream of revenue at a time when it is actively prosecuting its war against Ukraine and continues to target Americans … Continuing to ease sanctions on Russia as it provides Iran with valuable intelligence to target our troops and assets, putting them at lethal risk, is unacceptable," the senators said.

They emphasised that extending the waiver would undermine previous US efforts to apply economic pressure on Russia and send mixed signals.

"Moreover, the stated justification for this policy – stabilising global energy markets in the wake of the war with Iran – has not borne out in practice. Oil prices have not meaningfully declined, calling into question whether the waiver is achieving its intended purpose while clearly enabling an adversary," the senators added.

They also noted that a similar partial suspension of sanctions on Iranian oil, set to expire on 19 April, appears equally inconsistent.

"We urge the Department to allow this licence to expire and to reaffirm a clear, consistent commitment to holding Russia accountable," they concluded.

Blumenthal separately stated that "Trump's waiver has handed Russia an extra US$150 billion a day to fuel its murderous war machine… Extending the waiver after it expires tomorrow would be the height of hypocrisy and stupidity."

Background:

• On 12 March, the United States lifted sanctions on Russian oil that had already been loaded onto tankers at sea at the time.
• The war involving the US and Israel against Iran led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz – the only export route for oil from Persian Gulf countries, through which 20% of global exports pass – as well as Iranian strikes on energy infrastructure. These developments caused a sharp rise in global oil and fuel prices, driving up the cost of goods and services worldwide.
• US President Donald Trump has repeatedly stated that the Strait of Hormuz will be reopened one way or another, most recently saying on Friday that it would happen "fairly soon".
• When announcing a pause in hostilities with Iran for negotiations, the US said Iran was expected to reopen the strait. In practice, the situation has changed little.
• Ukraine, for its part, has prevented Russia from fully capitalising on this "window of opportunity" for excess energy profits by carrying out some of the largest strikes to date on ports around St Petersburg. Ukrainian officials say some partners had urged Kyiv not to target Russian oil exports amid the global energy crisis.

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