17 months without new Russia sanctions: US senators demand answers from Trump
US President Donald Trump (photo: Getty Images)
Two influential Democrats in the US Senate have questioned representatives of US President Donald Trump's administration over the lack of new sanctions against Russia, according to Reuters.
The letter to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was sent by Senator Elizabeth Warren, the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, and Senator Christopher Coons.
According to them, targeted sanctions against those helping Russia circumvent restrictions have not been imposed for 17 months.
The last time the United States imposed a major package of sanctions against Russia was in October 2025. At that time, the US Treasury Department added Russian oil companies Rosneft and Lukoil to the sanctions list.
The senators believe that this step was more of an exception than the beginning of a systematic policy, while Moscow continues to find ways to circumvent sanctions.
In response, the US Treasury Department recalled the sanctions against Russian oil companies and said that the Trump administration would continue to act with regard to US national security interests and the goal of a peaceful end to the war in Ukraine.
The State Department said it does not comment on possible future sanctions decisions.
Warren and Coons also referred to remarks Bessent made during an appearance before Congress in February.
At the time, the Treasury Secretary explained the pause in sanctions by the need to first see how the peace negotiations would develop. At the same time, the US administration continued to impose restrictions on Iran and Cuba during this period despite negotiations with those countries.
The senators also recalled Rubio's statement in May, when he acknowledged that negotiations between Ukraine and Russia were not producing results and, at that time, were effectively not taking place.
Warren and Coons noted that from the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 until Trump returned to the US presidency in January 2025, Washington imposed 111 packages of sanctions against Russia.
The senators asked Rubio and Bessent to explain by August 28 why Washington had not resumed the regular imposition of sanctions against Russia if the negotiation process that had prompted the pause had effectively stalled several months ago.
In their view, new restrictions could strengthen the US position in efforts to achieve a just peace for Ukraine.
"Bone-crushing" sanctions against Russia
Recently, the US Senate approved a bill on "bone-crushing" sanctions against Russia and Iran. One of its co-authors was the late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham.
The bill provides for primary sanctions targeting Russian President Vladimir Putin, his inner circle, banks, state energy projects, and the shadow fleet, as well as tariffs of up to 500% on direct imports from Russia.
The bill has now been sent to the House of Representatives for consideration.
Ukraine hopes that the United States could impose a new package of tough sanctions against Russia as early as September 2026. Ukrainian authorities believe that the restrictions being prepared in Washington could be significantly tougher than the European Union's current sanctions.
