U.S. senators urge Trump administration to end Russia sanctions relief
With a sanctions waiver for Russian oil sales set to expire on June 17, two senior Democratic senators are pressing the Trump administration not to extend the measure. The appeal links the decision to pressure on Moscow over its war against Ukraine and to broader concerns about energy prices and U.S. foreign policy credibility.
Highlights
- Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Elizabeth Warren urge President Donald Trump not to renew General License 134C, set to expire June 17, 2026.
- They argue that extending the Russia sanctions waiver enables continued oil revenue for Putin, undermining U.S. pressure amid the ongoing Ukraine war.
- The senators claim waivers have failed to restrain energy prices for Americans and instead mainly benefit Russia, weakening U.S. leverage.
Senators press for June 17 cutoff
As stated by Senate Committee on Finance Minority Press, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Senator Elizabeth Warren, ranking member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, urge President Donald Trump not to renew General License 134C when it expires on June 17, 2026.In their joint statement, the senators say an extension would allow Russia to keep benefiting from oil sales and give President Vladimir Putin more financial resources while the war against Ukraine continues. They argue that renewing the license would undercut Trump's earlier comments and conflict with his stated position that the war with Iran is over.
The senators also say the waivers have not achieved their stated purpose of limiting energy market disruption. They contend that Americans have faced higher gasoline and grocery prices since the conflict began, while the policy has mainly benefited Russia rather than supporting pressure on the Kremlin.
Ukraine war pressure and policy implications
Shaheen and Warren frame the sanctions decision as a test of whether the administration is willing to confront Moscow after more than four years of war. They say any additional revenue generated through the license helps finance what they describe as Russia's illegal war and further weakens efforts to secure a just and lasting peace.The statement adds that stronger pressure on Putin, rather than more sanctions relief, is needed if Washington wants to advance peace talks. The senators warn that continuing the waiver would signal weakness, invite further aggression and push an end to the war further out of reach.
In our earlier article on the General License 134C waiver tied to Russian oil, we covered how Senators Elizabeth Warren and Jeanne Shaheen urged President Trump to let the measure expire on June 17, 2026. They argued that renewing the waiver would keep supporting Russia’s oil revenue, weaken U.S. leverage over Moscow during the war in Ukraine, and fail to deliver the promised relief for U.S. consumers facing higher prices.
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