Bipartisan Backlash Grows As Trump Administration Expands Russian Sanctions Relief

News Bipartisan Backlash Grows As Trump Administration Expands Russian Sanctions Relief By Alex Raufoglu March 24, 2026 14:19 CET Bipartisan Backlash Grows As Trump Administration Expands Russian Sanctions Relief Share Share Print WASHINGTON -- US lawmakers are raising concerns after the Trump administration took additional steps to allow more Russian oil shipments to reach global markets despite existing sanctions. Democrats and Republicans alike are demanding answers after the Treasury Department last week broadened a temporary policy allowing the sale and delivery of Russian crude that had already been loaded onto tankers, effectively loosening enforcement of sanctions at a sensitive moment in Moscow’s war against Ukraine. The step -- expanded in a follow-up Treasury action days later that extended and clarified the authorization for those shipments to be offloaded through April -- came as global oil markets were rattled by the conflict with Iran, a context administration officials say required short-term flexibility to prevent price spikes. SEE ALSO: In The US War With Iran, Russia Is A Winner But lawmakers argue the policy risks handing the Kremlin a financial windfall just as it faces pressure on the battlefield. Representative Gregory Meeks of New York, the top House Democrat on foreign policy, and Republican Don Bacon from Nebraska sent a bipartisan letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Secretary of State Marco Rubio pressing for details, warning the decision could undercut US national security. They said allowing those cargoes to be sold globally has already enabled Russia to generate “billions in additional fossil fuel revenue,” calling it a badly timed boost for Russian President Vladimir Putin. "This war can only end when Putin realizes this war is not winnable or too costly," Bacon told RFE/RL. "Easing sanctions does the opposite. The administration is seeking short term gain but it comes with long term bad consequences," he added. Republicans ...