Three Senate Democrats have opened an investigation into President Donald Trump’s five-month pause on new sanctions against Russia, raising concerns over the administration’s approach to the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Chris Coons (D-DE) announced the probe in a joint statement on Wednesday, accusing the Trump administration of failing to uphold pressure on the Kremlin despite Russia’s continued full-scale invasion of Ukraine, News.Az reports, citing foreign sources.
"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.
Since returning to the White House in January, President Trump has not imposed any new sanctions on Russian entities. In some cases, his administration has reportedly eased existing restrictions. This marks a sharp contrast to the previous administration: under President Joe Biden, the U.S. issued an average of 170 new sanctions per month targeting individuals, businesses, and assets linked to Moscow. In total, the Biden administration enacted over 6,200 penalties during his term.
The senators cited a July 2 investigation by The New York Times, which revealed that the lull in new U.S. sanctions has created openings for sanctioned goods to reach Russia through intermediaries, especially in China and Hong Kong. The report noted that more than 130 companies in those regions are actively advertising sales of restricted computer chips to Russia, none of which have faced new U.S. penalties.
"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," the senators said.
In addition to the sanctions freeze, the Trump administration has reportedly lifted penalties on Karina Rotenberg, the wife of a close associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and has excluded Russia from recently announced "Liberation Day" tariffs aimed at punishing autocratic regimes.
The senators also claimed that Trump has worked behind the scenes to weaken bipartisan efforts in Congress to increase economic pressure on Moscow. According to reports, the president has asked Republican lawmakers to delay voting on a sanctions bill and to water down key provisions.
That bill, introduced by Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), proposes a 500% tariff on imports from countries that continue to purchase Russian oil and other raw materials.
Calling the situation a “missed opportunity” to advance peace efforts, the Democratic senators urged the Trump administration to resume active enforcement of existing sanctions and to coordinate with U.S. allies in the European Union and the G7.
“Instead of taking clearly available steps to pressure the aggressors, President Trump is doing nothing,” their statement concluded. “We will be investigating this inaction and its consequences.”
