Trump's pause on Russia sanctions under investigation by Senate Democrats
Three Democratic Senators have launched an investigation into U.S. President Donald Trump's refusal to impose new sanctions against Russia, the legislators announced in a joint statement on July 3.
Since taking office in January, Trump has passed no new sanctions against Moscow. In some cases, he has even eased restrictions, even as Russia intensifies its full-scale war against Ukraine.
Senate Democrats Jeanne Shaheen, Elizabeth Warren, and Chris Coons called on the administration to impose new penalties on the Kremlin and said they planned to investigate Trump's "five-month pause" on sanctions.
"Americans should be asking why a president who says he wants to end a major war is instead letting the aggressor run rampant," the senators said in a joint statement issued July 3.
The statement followed an analysis by the New York Times (NYT), published July 2, which found that Washington's slowed momentum on sanctions created more opportunities for shell companies to funnel sanctioned goods into Russia.
Former U.S. President Joe Biden imposed an average of 170 new sanctions per month on entities tied to Moscow between 2022-2024, according to the NYT. Overall, the Biden administration slapped 6,200 penalties on individuals, businesses, ships, and aircraft connected to Russia.
Without new sanctions to maintain pressure on Moscow, the effects of the Biden sanctions regime have begun to erode, the NYT reported. An analysis of trade records and other data. showed that over 130 companies in China and Hong Kong are advertising sales of sanctioned computer chips to Russia. Despite this illegal activity, none of the companies have been sanctioned.
"On top of halting key assistance to Ukraine, President Trump has blocked regular updates to our sanctions and export controls for five months and counting—enabling a growing wave of evaders in China and around the world to continue supplying Russia's war machine," Senators Shaheen, Warren, and Coons said in their statement.
The senators called on Trump to "actively enforce the existing sanctions against Russia" and urged the administration to partner with EU and G7 nations to mount pressure on Moscow.
"Instead of taking clearly available steps to pressure the aggressors, President Trump is doing nothing and we will be investigating this missed opportunity to push for an end to this war," they said.
Along with letting U.S. sanctions on the Kremlin go stagnant, the Trump administration has removed sanctions on Karina Rotenberg, the wife of a key ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and notably exempted Russia from its sweeping "Liberation Day" tariffs.
reportedly obstructed bipartisan congressional efforts to target the Russian economy. Trump has asked Republican senators to weaken a proposed sanctions bill and has urged delays in a vote on the legislation.
The bipartisan sanctions bill, introduced by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Senate Democrat Richard Blumenthal, seeks to impose a 500% tariff on imports from countries that continue purchasing Russian oil and raw materials.
