Trump Accused of Aiding Russia by Relaxing Sanctions
Several members of the Democratic Party have accused US President Donald Trump of weakening pressure on Russia. This is because the United States has relaxed some oil sanctions amid the conflict with Iran. They believe the policy could potentially increase Moscow’s war revenue whilst American forces face threats in the Middle East region.
Democratic Minority Leader in the Senate Chuck Schumer, together with two senior senators, Elizabeth Warren and Jeanne Shaheen, have urged US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to provide explanations to Congress regarding the policy.
The senators cited media reports suggesting Russia allegedly provided intelligence information to Iran that could be used to target American military personnel. This information was also mentioned by Trump.
“Russia is reportedly providing intelligence to Iran to target and kill American military personnel, whilst the Trump administration’s response is to relax pressure and help provide approximately US$150 million daily in additional revenue to the Russian war machine,” the senators said in a joint statement.
They also believed the policy was more favourable to the Kremlin than to the American people, who now face rising energy prices.
“President Trump is giving more relief to the Kremlin than to American families, who now have to pay more for fuel and other necessities because of this conflict,” they wrote.
In a radio interview broadcast Friday, Trump acknowledged the possibility that Russian President Vladimir Putin was providing limited support to Iran in the ongoing conflict.
“I think it is possible that Putin is helping Iran a bit,” Trump said.
Previously, the US government announced it would provide exemptions to some oil sanctions in order to increase global supply and suppress energy prices. This step was taken after conflicts between the US, Israel, and Iran disrupted energy shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump did not explain in detail which countries would benefit from the sanctions relaxation. However, the policy emerged after Washington temporarily authorised oil refineries in India to purchase Russian oil that had previously been held at sea due to sanctions.
Democratic senators believed that relaxing sanctions on Russian energy companies could provide significant advantages to Moscow, which continues to face Western pressure regarding its invasion of Ukraine. They also questioned American legal rules that require Congressional notification before sanctions against Russia are relaxed.