Trump letting Putin 'play him for a fool,' US lawmakers say after new Russia sanctions waiver

Prefer on Google by Tim Zadorozhnyy US President Donald Trump (L) and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, on July 16, 2018. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images) Senate Democrats condemned the U.S. Treasury Department's decision to issue a temporary license on April 17 allowing purchases of Russian oil stranded at sea, calling the move "shameful." The criticism came after a policy shift by the Donald Trump administration, following Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's statement that the administration "will not be renewing the general license on Russian oil," alongside a separate decision involving a waiver related to Iranian oil. The renewed license permits countries to buy Russian oil and petroleum products loaded onto vessels as of April 15 through May 16. It replaces an earlier 30-day exemption that expired on April 11. Senate Democrats said the initial waiver, combined with high global oil prices during the Iran war, provided Russia with roughly $150 million per day — more than $4 billion by the time the exemption expired, according to estimates shared with the Kyiv Independent. "This decision is shameful and a 180-degree reversal from Secretary Bessent, just two days after he pledged not to extend sanctions relief for Russia ," senators Jeanne Shaheen, Chuck Schumer, and Elizabeth Warren wrote in a joint letter. "This week, Putin launched the largest aerial attack of the year so far on Ukraine, killing 18, and the administration's response is to relax sanctions on the Kremlin yet again. What kind of message does this move send?" the letter added. A Treasury Department spokesperson said the extension was tied to energy supply concerns. "As negotiations (between the U.S. and Iran) accelerate, treasury wants to ensure oil is available to those who need it," the spokesperson said in a statement. Russian economic envoy Kirill Dmitriev welcomed the move, saying the extension "will affect more than 100 million barrels of oil currently in transit," though he added it faced "political opposition." Dmitriev, who heads Russia's sovereign wealth fund, traveled to Washington for talks with Trump administration officials shortly before the previous waiver expired. Despite the waiver, its impact on global oil prices has been limited. Much of Russia's crude continues to move through shadow fleet tankers that bypass sanctions, reducing the effect of the relief. Washington has previously framed potential sanctions relief as leverage to push Moscow toward concessions in negotiations. Critics said the waiver weakens that position while Russia benefits from elevated prices and supports Iran. U.S. officials have alleged that Moscow provided Tehran with intelligence on the locations of American military assets in the region during the war, including warships and aircraft. "Make no mistake, Putin has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of President Trump's war against Iran, as Russia saw oil revenues nearly double in March. Enough is enough," the senators wrote. "President Trump needs to stop letting Putin play him for a fool and impose additional sanctions on Putin, who is clearly not feeling sufficient pressure from this president." Vladyslav Vlasiuk, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky on sanctions policy, wrote on X that the decision "weakens sanctions, and boosts Kremlin revenues."