'Far from innocent' — US senators seek answers after sanctioned Russian lawmakers visit Washington
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Members of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee are calling for transparency from the Trump administration after a group of Russian lawmakers visited government officials in Washington D.C., according to a statement shared with the Kyiv Independent on April 3.
The senators' inquiry follows a two-day visit to Washington by representatives from the Russian State Duma — all of whom have been sanctioned by the United States due to their role in the full-scale war against Ukraine.
In a letter addressed to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, senators raised alarm over the "national security implications" of the Russian delegates' visit.
"The delegation came onto U.S. soil for one purpose: to advance the Kremlin's strategic aims—
including gathering additional useful intelligence," Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Roger Wicker wrote.
The delegation included Vyacheslav Nikonov, deputy chair of Russia's Foreign Affairs Committee, Mikhail Delyagin, and Boris Chernyshov — officials the senators described as "far from innocent."
"(T)hese individuals were sanctioned because they engaged in conduct deemed to be harmful to U.S. national security," the senators wrote. "It is troubling that, despite these concerns, the U.S. government would give these individuals access to U.S. government institutions."
The senators called on Rubio and Bessent to justify the sanctions waivers allowing the lawmakers to enter the country and land their aircraft at a U.S. airport. The letter also asked the administration to detail the security precautions taken and provide a full list of all individuals who traveled from Russia.
Additionally, the letter requested a summary of any counterintelligence assessment conducted ahead of the visit and asked for information on the meetings held with administration officials.
"It is important that Congress and the public understand the scope fo the Russian delegation's actions here in the United States and the access they may have had to sensitive information," they wrote.
A State Department official told the Kyiv Independent on March 25 that Russian lawmakers would meet members of the U.S. Congress and a U.S. federal government delegation during a two-day trip to Washington. The visit was organized by Republican Representative Anna Paulina Luna, who is known for her opposition to U.S. aid to Ukraine.
The discussions with Trump administration officials were expected to take place on March 27 at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP).
The State Duma operates largely as a pro-Kremlin body, and lawmakers across the political spectrum have consistently backed the war against Ukraine.
As the senators noted in their letter, the visit not only flouts Ukraine-related sanctions, but comes amid mounting evidence that Russia is actively helping its ally, Iran, target U.S. assets in the Middle East.
