President Donald Trump signaled over the weekend that he is seriously weighing tougher sanctions on Russia over its years-long war against Ukraine, a potential move backed by a bipartisan Senate supermajority eager to force Moscow’s hand, as peace negotiations falter.
In a Sunday exchange with reporters, Trump <a href="https://x.com/Acyn/status/1926772105401549062" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> he is “absolutely” considering new sanctions on Russia. Hours later, he <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114571369956761390" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blasted</a> Russian President Vladimir Putin on social media, calling him “CRAZY” for “needlessly killing a lot of people” with continued fighting between soldiers, as well as missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian cities. &#8220;I’ve always said that he wants ALL of Ukraine, not just a piece of it, and maybe that’s proving to be right, but if he does, it will lead to the downfall of Russia!&#8221; he added.
The rebuke stretched into Tuesday, with Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114580564427808609" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warning</a> that Putin is “playing with fire” and claiming that “really bad things” would have already struck Russia without his restraint.
A coalition of 81 senators, led by Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), has rallied behind a <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1241/text?s=1&amp;r=2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bill</a> to slam Russia with fresh sanctions if Moscow refuses genuine peace talks with Ukraine or launches new attacks threatening Ukraine’s sovereignty post-agreement. The legislation also <a href="https://www.lgraham.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=3D495158-CF7D-4833-A2DB-9E5558843F1B" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proposes</a> a 500% tariff on goods from nations buying Russian oil, gas, uranium, or other commodities.
&#8220;While we yearn for peace, it is increasingly clear to us – and a supermajority of the Senate – that Putin is playing games,&#8221; Graham and Blumenthal declared in a joint <a href="https://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/blumenthal-and-grahams-hard-hitting-sanctions-bill-has-over-80-cosponsors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> last week. &#8220;The United States Senate stands ready to act if these games continue.&#8221;
The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-putin-has-gone-absolutely-crazy-risks-the-downfall-of-russia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that after a two-hour call with Putin last week, Trump declared that peace talks between Russia and Ukraine would &#8220;immediately start,&#8221; only for the Kremlin to deny any such plans. The week prior, Putin snubbed scheduled talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Turkey, prompting Trump to insist that “nothing’s going to happen until Putin and I get together.&#8221;
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=memorial&amp;utm_content=editorialmemorialday" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Memorial Day Sale &#8211; Get 40% Off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), a co-signer of the Graham-Blumenthal bill, argued Tuesday that sanctions are now critical. &#8220;I believe president trump was sincere when he thought his friendship w Putin wld end the war,&#8221; Grassley <a href="https://x.com/ChuckGrassley/status/1927369150529171572" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> on X. &#8220;Now that being the case ITS TIME FOR SANCTIONS STRONG ENUF SO PUTIN KNOWS &#8216;game over.'&#8221;
Trump also took aim at Zelensky and former President Joe Biden.
&#8220;President Zelenskyy is doing his Country no favors by talking the way he does,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114571369956761390" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> on Truth Social over the weekend. “Everything out of his mouth causes problems, I don’t like it, and it better stop. This is a War that would never have started if I were President. This is Zelenskyy’s, Putin’s, and Biden’s War, not ‘Trump’s,’ I am only helping to put out the big and ugly fires, that have been started through Gross Incompetence and Hatred.&#8221;

Trump and Senate Republicans

Trump Eyes Stinging Russia Sanctions. This Bipartisan Proposal Could Bring The Pain.

Chuck Grassley

Congress

Donald Trump

Global Politics

Lindsey Graham

Russia

Sanctions

U.S. Senate

Ukraine

Ukraine-Russia War

Vladimir Putin

Volodymyr Zelensky

World

President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to impose sanctions on any country or individual that purchases Iranian oil or petrochemical products.
“Any Country or person who buys ANY AMOUNT of OIL or PETROCHEMICALS from Iran will be subject to, immediately, Secondary Sanctions,” <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114433959082847679" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trump posted</a> to Truth Social. “They will not be allowed to do business with the United States of America in any way, shape, or form.”
Trump’s warning comes after Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/you-will-pay-the-consequence-pete-hegseth-warns-iran-over-lethal-support-to-houthis?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=%E2%80%98You+Will+Pay+The+Consequence%E2%80%99%3A+Pete+Hegseth+Warns+Iran+Over+Lethal+Support+To+Houthis">warned</a> Wednesday that Iran would “pay the consequence” for providing “lethal support” to the Ansar Allah terrorist organization, also known as the Houthis.
It’s unclear what incident prompted Hegseth’s post. But on Monday, an encounter with the Houthis caused a $60 million U.S. F/A-18 fighter jet to slip off the hangar deck of the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman and fall into the Red Sea.
The United States has spent several weeks conducting airstrikes <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-trump-and-rubio-put-america-first-in-100-days?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=How+Trump+And+Rubio+Put+America+First+In+100+Days" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on the Houthis</a> in response to the group’s more than 100 attacks on international cargo ships, tankers, and naval vessels following Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel. Since March, over 800 Houthi targets have been hit, resulting in the elimination of hundreds of fighters and leaders, and Houthi ballistic missile launches and suicide drone attacks are down 69% and 55% respectively, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/us-strikes-kill-hundreds-houthi-fighters-hit-over-800-red-sea-targets-central-command" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News reported</a>.
Despite being in active <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-saturdays-nuclear-talks-between-the-u-s-and-iran" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nuclear negotiations</a> with the Iranian regime, Trump has kept up his “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran to prevent it from obtaining a nuclear weapon and curb its backing of terror organizations across the Middle East.
If negotiations fail, the president has repeatedly warned that military action remains on the table to disrupt Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
“I think if the talks aren’t successful with Iran, I think Iran is going to be in great danger,” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-iran-will-be-in-great-danger-if-saturdays-nuclear-talks-fail?row=3&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;title=Trump+Says+Iran+Will+Be+In+%E2%80%98Great+Danger%E2%80%99+If+Saturday%E2%80%99s+Nuclear+Talks+Fail&amp;category=News&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trump said</a> from the Oval Office earlier this month. “It’s not a complicated formula. Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, that’s all there is.”
On Wednesday, the State Department announced sanctions on seven entities involved in the Iranian petroleum and petrochemical trade. The sanctions target four sellers, one purchaser, one marine management company, two of its vessels, and an Iran-based cargo inspection firm.
Last week, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-sanctions-iranian-petroleum-magnate-caught-trying-to-move-oil-from-texas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sanctions were imposed</a> on two Iranian petroleum magnates, one of whom was caught attempting to export cargo to China off the coast of Houston last year. In total, 72 entities, 14 individuals, and 74 vessels were sanctioned.

SAUDI-US-GCC-DIPLOMACY

Trump To World: Stop Buying Iranian Oil — Or Else

Iran

Pete Hegseth

The Trump administration on Tuesday announced new sanctions against two Iranian petroleum magnates who use their business to funnel revenue to the Iranian regime — one of whom was caught last year attempting to export cargo to China from off the coast of Houston.
Petroleum magnate, Seyed Asadoollah Emamjomeh, his son Meisam Emamjomeh, and his corporate network — now sanctioned by the Trump administration — are responsible for shipping hundreds of millions of dollars worth of liquified petroleum gas (LPG) to foreign markets, <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0093">according</a> to the Treasury Department. LPG is a large source of revenue for the Iranian regime, which funds regional terrorist proxy groups including Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Hamas.
The sanctions come as the Trump administration <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-saturdays-nuclear-talks-between-the-u-s-and-iran?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Here%E2%80%99s+What+You+Need+To+Know+About+Saturday%E2%80%99s+Nuclear+Talks+Between+The+U.S.+And+Iran" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attempts to negotiate</a> a nuclear deal with the Iranian regime while also keeping up its maximum pressure campaign. The sanctions were announced by the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and are in line with Executive Order 13902, which targets those operating in certain sectors of the Iranian economy.
“Emamjomeh and his network sought to export thousands of shipments of LPG—including from the United States—to evade U.S. sanctions and generate revenue for Iran,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement. “The United States remains committed to holding accountable those who seek to provide the Iranian regime with the funding it needs to further its destabilizing activities in the region and around the world.”
Under the sanctions, &#8220;all property and interests in property of the designated persons described above that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC,&#8221; according to the Treasury Department. All transactions by American citizens or within the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designees are prohibited. Violations may result in civil and criminal penalties, according to OFAC.
OFAC added that its power comes from its ability to both add and remove people to a sanction list, stating that “the ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior.”
Emamjomeh, who is based in Iran, and Meisam, a UAE-based British-Iranian, have owned and operated an LPG sales, transportation, and delivery network through multiple companies in Iran and the UAE for over a decade, according to the Treasury Department.
TINOS I, a large gas carrier vessel in the network, attempted to load LPG off the coast of Houston, Texas, to sell to China in June 2024, according to Lloyd’s List, which <a href="https://www.lloydslist.com/LL1153240/EXCLUSIVE-How-an-LPG-tankers-maiden-voyage-ended-with-the-US-sanctioning-a-sprawling-Iranian-gas-network" target="_blank" rel="noopener">took credit for alerting</a> American authorities about the ship when it was en route to Houston.
According to the maritime news outlet, TINOS I, built in 2024, was on its maiden voyage before sitting at anchor following Lloyd’s list asking authorities for comment. Pearl Petrochemical told Lloyd’s List that it received a license from OFAC but did not specify if it was permitted to lift cargoes in the United States.
Until October 2024, Emamjomeh owned UAE-based Pearl Petrochemical FZE, the beneficial owner of TINOS I, before ownership passed to Meisam.
&#8220;Emamjomeh also owns or controls nine additional LPG companies in Iran, including, reportedly, one company with a monopoly on the National Iranian Gas Company’s LPG deliveries,&#8221; the Treasury Department reported. &#8220;Meisam acts as director and chief executive officer (CEO) of United Kingdom-based Worldwide LPG Limited, while also serving on the board of directors of many of Emamjomeh’s Iran-based companies.&#8221;
One of Emamjomeh’s UAE-based companies, Caspian Petrochemical FZE, is &#8220;part of a network that has exported thousands of shipments of LPG from Iran to Pakistan and [has] conducted tens of millions of dollars in business on behalf of Persian Gulf Petrochemical Industry Commercial Co. (PGPICC).&#8221;
PGPICC has been designated by OFAC since July 2019 for being owned or controlled by Persian Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company (PGPIC), which was also designated on the same day for providing financial support to Khatam al-Anbiya, the engineering conglomerate of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Emamjomeh’s designation is the consequence of his operating in the petroleum sector of the Iranian economy. The designation will extend to several of the companies he owns or controls, including Caspian Petrochemical FZE, Parsa Fidar Paydar Engineering and Technology Company, Nilgon Parsa Caspian Shipping Company, Arsa Gas Company, Pasar Gas Company, Petro Parsa Caspian Iranian Company, Pasar Gas Novin Trading Company, Parsa Salakh Qeshm Industrial Complex, Parsa Trabar Caspian International Transportation Company, and Parsa Trabar Persia International Transportation Company.
Meisam and his Pearl Petrochemical FZE and Worldwide LPG Limited are also being designated, according to the Treasury Department&#8217;s announcement, on similar grounds. The TINOS I will be identified “as property in which Pearl Petrochemical FZE has an interest.&#8221;

Iran To Meet Own Gasoline Needs After Persian Gulf Star Refinery Expansion

Trump Sanctions Iranian Petroleum Magnate Caught Trying To Move Oil From Texas

Iran Nuclear Deal

Oil and Gas

Scott Bessent

The Trump administration, firmly committed to wiping out support for the terrorist group Hamas in America, is reportedly considering imposing sanctions on the international funders footing the bill for pro-Hamas protests.
Financial supporters of the terrorist group included prominent Qatari nationals, current and former United States officials told the <a href="https://freebeacon.com/trump-administration/trump-administration-weighs-sanctions-on-foreign-funders-of-pro-hamas-campus-protests/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Washington Free Beacon</a>. In January, President Trump issued an Executive Order to Combat Anti-Semitism, which authorized the deportation of foreign students who participated in anti-Semitic demonstrations. The <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/01/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-takes-forceful-and-unprecedented-steps-to-combat-anti-semitism/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fact sheet</a> accompanying the order featured the president saying, “To all the resident aliens who joined in the pro-jihadist protests, we put you on notice: come 2025, we will find you, and we will deport you. I will also quickly cancel the student visas of all Hamas sympathizers on college campuses, which have been infested with radicalism like never before.”
“President Trump has made it a priority to ensure that Jewish students, indeed all students, feel safe and free from harassment on college campuses,” one senior United States official told the Free Beacon. “To that end, his administration is taking a comprehensive approach, not just looking at the visas and green cards of student instigators, but also, for example, going after the people funding the protests, wherever they may be.”
It&#8217;s not just the Qataris funding the pro-Hamas groups. Last July, former Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines <a href="https://www.dni.gov/index.php/newsroom/press-releases/press-releases-2024/3842-statement-from-director-of-national-intelligence-avril-haines-on-recent-iranian-influence-efforts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a>, “Iranian government actors have sought to opportunistically take advantage of ongoing protests regarding the war in Gaza, using a playbook we’ve seen other actors use over the years. We have observed actors tied to Iran’s government posing as activists online, seeking to encourage protests, and even providing financial support to protesters.”
“This was on the menu when I was there, but the previous administration was a bit squeamish about taking extreme measures, like revoking visas,” said a former diplomat. “But that’s not a problem in this administration, and we’re hearing they’re looking at all options—from sanctions on individuals to the revocation of visas. You can&#8217;t get rid of anti-Semitism on campus without getting rid of the funding, and the funders are Qatar.”
“Trump&#8217;s Executive Order provides the basis for going after the backers of illegal pro-Hamas protests, and Trump officials are doing exactly that,” a senior GOP congressional official told the Free Beacon. “There are mountains of evidence that Qatar paid for groups committed to halting Israel&#8217;s campaign against Hamas. Everyone knows where the investigation into illegal protests will end up, and Republicans will look to punish those responsible.”

US-ISRAEL PALESTINIANS CONFLICT-CONFLICT

Trump Admin Mulling Sanctions On Foreign Funders Of Pro-Hamas Protests

Pro-Hamas

Qatar

On Friday morning, President Trump stated that he is considering imposing sanctions on Russia, saying Russia is “absolutely pounding Ukraine on the battlefield.”
Trump said he is considering sanctions until a peace deal is reached between Russia and Ukraine.
“Based on the fact that Russia is absolutely “pounding” Ukraine on the battlefield right now, I am strongly considering large scale Banking Sanctions, Sanctions, and Tariffs on Russia until a Cease Fire and FINAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT ON PEACE IS REACHED. To Russia and Ukraine, get to the table right now, before it is too late. Thank you!!!” he <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114121576367163341" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> on Truth Social.
On Thursday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bessent-signals-trump-to-crush-iran-russia-with-energy-sanctions?topStoryPosition=undefined" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated</a> that the Trump administration was prepared to impose further sanctions on Russia, “A major factor that has enabled the Russian war machine&#8217;s continued financing was the Biden administration&#8217;s egregiously weak sanctions on Russian energy, stemming from worries about upward pressure on U.S. energy prices,” he said at the Economic Club of New York. “This administration has kept the enhanced sanctions in place and will not hesitate to go ‘all in’ should it provide leverage in peace negotiations. &#8230; (Sanctions on Russia) will be used explicitly and aggressively for immediate maximum impact.”
This would not be the first time Trump sanctioned Russia. In April 2018, the Trump administration sanctioned specific Russian officials and oligarchs. “The Treasury Department, after consulting with the State Department, sanctioned seven Russian oligarchs and 12 companies they control, plus 17 top Russian officials, a state-owned weapons-trading company and a subsidiary bank,” CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/06/us-sanctions-russians-including-oligarch-linked-to-former-trump-campaign-chief-paul-manafort.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. In August 2019, President Trump issued an executive order giving the Treasury Department and Commerce Department authority to issue sanctions banning granting Russia loans or other assistance from international financial institutions.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on Telegram to urge a “silence in the sky,” adding, “The first steps to establishing real peace should be to force the sole source of this war, that is, Russia, to stop precisely such attacks against life,” the<a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ukraine-russia-war-trump-zelensky-putin-uk-threat-b2710677.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Independent</a> reported, adding, Ukraine’s air force announced this morning that Russia had fired 67 missiles and 194 drones. They said they shot down 34 of the rockets and 100 drones, with 86 additional unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) having disappeared in the air.”

Trump Warns Of Sanctions On Russia If No Peace Is Achieved

On Tuesday, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Senate</a> Democrats blocked legislation that threatens to impose sanctions on the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/international-criminal-court" target="_blank" rel="noopener">International Criminal Court</a> (ICC) after the organization issued arrest warrants against Israeli leaders last year.
The majority of Democrats and the two independents who caucus with them opposed breaking the filibuster, resulting in a <a href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1191/vote_119_1_00022.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">54-45 vote</a> that fell short of the 60-vote threshold needed to begin debate on the bill.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
54-45:Democrats blocked the Senate from advancing a House-passed bill to sanction the International Criminal Court for issuing an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu.60 votes were needed. Fetterman (PA) was the only Democrat to vote Yes. Ossoff (GA) did not vote. <a href="https://t.co/oMGSzvZV40">pic.twitter.com/oMGSzvZV40</a>
&mdash; Craig Caplan (@CraigCaplan) <a href="https://twitter.com/CraigCaplan/status/1884328983501959536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) was the sole Democrat to vote in favor of the bill. &#8220;The ICC’s treatment towards Israel and equivocating to Hamas was unacceptable,&#8221; he <a href="https://x.com/SenFettermanPA/status/1882928967151485018" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on X. &#8220;We should absolutely sanction the ICC.&#8221;
Republicans called out Democrats who opposed the legislation, including Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-WY), who said: &#8220;Republicans are holding the ICC accountable with sanctions. Democrats are blocking us. Why?&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Criminals in the world today have a friend — the International Criminal Court. 
They target Israel while letting evil regimes around the world off the hook. 
Right now Republicans are holding the ICC accountable with sanctions. Democrats are blocking us. Why?
&mdash; Sen. John Barrasso (@SenJohnBarrasso) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenJohnBarrasso/status/1884328296848187876?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Democrats voted against protecting American troops from a corrupt kangaroo court. They had 10 months to negotiate this bill, but instead waited until the last minute to demand unworkable changes that would give carve outs to big tech. Make no mistake-Democrats weakened our…
&mdash; Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenTomCotton/status/1884331129613742352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Senate Democrats are using their new-found respect for the filibuster to effectively endorse the ICC’s illegitimate prosecution of our closest ally in the Middle East. It is outrageous! 
AMERICA STANDS WITH ISRAEL &amp; AGAINST LAWFARE. 
All these Senate Democrats have done is…
&mdash; Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerJohnson/status/1884344446688583879?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) <a href="https://x.com/AndrewDesiderio/status/1884320663542120601" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> criticized the ICC for how &#8220;their anti-Israel bias has taken over and become too much,&#8221; but also claimed the sanctions bill was &#8220;poorly drafted&#8221; and &#8220;deeply flawed.&#8221;
The <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/23/text?s=1&amp;r=1&amp;q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22Illegitimate+Court+Counteraction+Act%22%7D" target="_blank" rel="noopener">legislation</a> would &#8220;impose sanctions with respect to the International Criminal Court engaged in any effort to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute any protected person of the United States and its allies.&#8221;
Penalties listed in the bill would have the president implement restrictions on transactions of property and interests within the U.S., as well as visas, admission, or parole for anyone linked to offending ICC actions.
Reps. Chip Roy (R-TX) and Brian Mast (R-FL) first <a href="https://roy.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-roy-and-mast-demand-sanctions-icc-officials-going-after-us-israel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unveiled</a> the sanctions bill last May, citing reports indicating the ICC was prepared to issue arrest warrants against Israeli officials in response to the war in the Gaza Strip.
The ICC later <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/icc-blasted-over-arrest-warrants-for-netanyahu-gallant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued</a> arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant — as well as Hamas terror group officials — a move that got bipartisan criticism in the U.S.
In the last Congress, the House passed the bill only for it to be <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/8282/text" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ignored</a> by the Democrat-led Senate amid <a href="https://x.com/nicholaswu12/status/1797727903175807367" target="_blank" rel="noopener">opposition</a> by President Joe Biden. The House <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-again-passes-icc-sanctions-legislation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed</a> the bill again for the new term earlier this month.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/netanyahu-will-be-first-foreign-leader-hosted-at-trump-white-house?topStoryPosition=2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RELATED: Netanyahu Will Be First Foreign Leader Hosted At Trump White House</a>
&#8220;Last year, I committed to putting this bill on the floor when Republicans were in the majority. Today, I’m following through on that promise,&#8221; Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) <a href="https://x.com/LeaderJohnThune/status/1884292120804028914" target="_blank" rel="noopener">declared</a> in a post to X.
Thune also included a forward-looking warning to his post, saying, &#8220;While the ICC is targeting Israeli leaders today, it could easily set its sights on Americans – and American soldiers in particular – tomorrow.&#8221;

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY)

Senate Democrats Block International Criminal Court Sanctions Bill

Chuck Schumer

International Criminal Court

Israel

John Fetterman

John Thune

U.S.

On Thursday, the Republican-led <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-house-of-representatives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House</a> again passed legislation threatening to impose sanctions on the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/international-criminal-court" target="_blank" rel="noopener">International Criminal Court</a> (ICC) after the organization issued arrest warrants against Israeli leaders last year.
Forty-five Democrats <a href="https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/20257" target="_blank" rel="noopener">joined</a> 198 Republicans in voting for the Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act. The bill once more heads to the Senate; with the GOP in control, the legislation may actually succeed.
The <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/23/text?s=1&amp;r=1&amp;q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22Illegitimate+Court+Counteraction+Act%22%7D" target="_blank" rel="noopener">legislation</a> would &#8220;impose sanctions with respect to the International Criminal Court engaged in any effort to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute any protected person of the United States and its allies.&#8221;
Penalties listed in the bill would have the president implement restrictions on transactions of property and interests within the U.S., as well as visas, admission, or parole for anyone linked to offending ICC actions.
Reps. Chip Roy (R-TX) and Brian Mast (R-FL) first <a href="https://roy.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-roy-and-mast-demand-sanctions-icc-officials-going-after-us-israel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unveiled</a> the sanctions bill last May, citing reports indicating the ICC was prepared to issue arrest warrants against Israeli officials in response to the war in the Gaza Strip.
The ICC later did <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/icc-blasted-over-arrest-warrants-for-netanyahu-gallant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issue</a> arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant — as well as Hamas terror group officials — a move that got bipartisan criticism in the U.S.
Roy and Mast, who is now chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, <a href="https://roy.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-roy-chairman-mast-reintroduce-bill-protect-israel-illegitimate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> earlier this week that the House rules package for the nascent 119th Congress set the stage for their legislation to get another vote.
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&#8220;The House will not tolerate rogue actors who circumvent international law to attack Israel and threaten America. We won’t do it,&#8221; House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) <a href="https://x.com/Edgar_A_Barrios/status/1876657254218465309" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> during a press briefing on Capitol Hill this week.
Johnson also noted he expects the Senate, now led by Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), to vote on the bill. The Democrat-led Senate in the last Congress <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/8282/text" target="_blank" rel="noopener">did not vote</a> on the legislation as President Joe Biden <a href="https://x.com/nicholaswu12/status/1797727903175807367" target="_blank" rel="noopener">opposed</a> it.
Roy <a href="https://roy.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-roy-chairman-mast-reintroduce-bill-protect-israel-illegitimate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> he has &#8220;full confidence&#8221; President-elect Donald Trump &#8220;will stand for Israel with the strength and moral clarity that Biden has sorely lacked,&#8221; adding the bill ensures the ICC won&#8217;t get a &#8220;free pass&#8221; to attack U.S. allies.
The House vote on Thursday was the second in this Congress in which a bipartisan group of lawmakers passed a bill. On Tuesday, 48 Democrats and 216 Republicans <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-again-passes-laken-riley-act-159-dems-vote-against-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sent</a> the &#8220;Laken Riley Act&#8221; to the Senate.

Rep. Chip Roy

House Again Passes ICC Sanctions Legislation

Chip Roy

U.S. House of Representatives

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/european-union">European Union</a>, responding to the recent Iranian attack on Israel in which it fired roughly 350 drones and missiles, decided on Monday to tighten sanctions on Iran, barring the exportation of  EU-made components used for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and ballistic missiles.
“After Tehran&#8217;s attack on 13 April against Israel, which saw over 300 projectiles headed from different fronts towards the Jewish nation, the EU began working on an expanded raft of sanctions to cover the production of missiles and enlarge the catalogue of prohibited drone-related components,” EuroNews <a href="https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2024/04/22/eu-countries-agree-to-slap-new-sanctions-on-iran-to-curtail-drone-and-missile-production#:~:text=The%20European%20Union%20has%20reached,or%20drones%2C%20and%20ballistic%20missiles." target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>, noting of Iran that the “country has over the years developed an intricate network of operators to obtain sensitive dual-use items, which can be used for both military and civilian purposes, and evade long-standing international sanctions.”
The EU sanctions reportedly will increase restrictions to the &#8220;whole region of the Middle East and the Red Sea,&#8221; according to High Representative Josep Borrell.
On the other hand, no move was made by the EU to name the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, although that idea has been discussed since the Iranian regime cracked down on protesters last year. “There are doubts within the EU members whether this step can be legally taken (which first requires a national decision in this regard, that is, for a court in one of the EU countries to declare it a terrorist organization) and, most importantly, whether it would be a convenient thing to do, as it would further close the already narrow channels of communication with Tehran,” El Pais <a href="https://english.elpais.com/international/2024-04-22/the-eu-is-preparing-to-expand-its-sanctions-on-iran-as-a-political-warning-after-the-attack-on-israel.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a>.
In mid-February, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/eu-warns-israel-against-catastrophic-rafah-offensive-2024-02-19/#:~:text=BRUSSELS%2C%20Feb%2019%20(Reuters),the%20southern%20edge%20of%20Gaza.">every EU country except Hungary</a> warned Israel not to attack Rafah, Hamas’ last stronghold in Gaza. In recent years, Hungary’s relations with Israel have been very warm; in May 2020, Hungarian Foreign Minister Petar Scheirto made it clear Israel could depend on Hungary for support, <a href="https://www.maariv.co.il/news/politics/Article-766829" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying</a> Hungary would “continue to oppose anti-Israeli statements in front of the European Union, the United Nations and in international forums.” He called accusations against Israel for war crimes “absurd” while noting that both countries had been under attack in the international arena &#8220;as a result of political voting.”

EU flag

EU Tightens Sanctions On Iran After Iranian Attack On Israel

European Union

The White House will unveil a &#8220;major sanctions package&#8221; against Russia on Friday in response to the death of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-condemns-putin-for-death-of-navalny-putin-is-responsible" target="_blank" rel="noopener">opposition leader Alexei Navalny</a>, according to President Joe Biden&#8217;s national security team.
John Kirby, a spokesman for the National Security Council, told reporters about the plan on Tuesday, noting that Russia&#8217;s war in Ukraine is also a factor in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-pledges-more-sanctions-against-russia-over-war-in-ukraine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new round of penalties</a>.
&#8220;We will be announcing a major sanctions package on Friday of this week to hold Russia accountable for what happened to Mr. Navalny and quite frankly for all its actions over the course of this vicious and brutal war that has now raged on for two years,&#8221; Kirby said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Kirby: New sanctions on Russia, after death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny <a href="https://t.co/cWd1dsXp2V">pic.twitter.com/cWd1dsXp2V</a>
&mdash; The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) <a href="https://twitter.com/TPostMillennial/status/1759981215367451108?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Russian authorities said last week that Navalny <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/russian-opposition-leader-alexei-navalny-dies-in-remote-arctic-prison-authorities-say" target="_blank" rel="noopener">died at the age of 47</a> in an Arctic penal colony after he started to feel ill and lost consciousness. Biden <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2024/02/16/remarks-by-president-biden-on-the-reported-death-of-aleksey-navalny/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">delivered</a> remarks on Friday in which he said Russian President Vladimir Putin was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-condemns-putin-for-death-of-navalny-putin-is-responsible" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;responsible&#8221;</a> for the death of Navalny, who supporters insist was imprisoned on <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-navalny-death-global-reactions-putin-19e7fd6318763627f6917a92678cd190" target="_blank" rel="noopener">trumped-up charges</a>. Navalny&#8217;s family is now engaged in a clash with Russia to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/02/20/navalny-mother-body-putin-plea/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">secure the release</a> of his body.
Navalny&#8217;s death happened after the Democrat-led Senate passed a roughly <a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewDesiderio/status/1755287316799561872" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$95 billion</a> foreign aid package that would dedicate another $60 million to Ukraine as it fights Russia. The GOP-controlled House has not taken up the bill, but the White House is pushing lawmakers to get it passed.
&#8220;One of the most powerful things that we can do right now to stand up to [Russian leader] Vladimir Putin of course is to again pass the bipartisan national security supplemental bill and support Ukraine as they continue to fight bravely in defense of their country,&#8221; Kirby said.
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House Speaker <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mike-johnson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Johnson</a> (R-LA) has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/speaker-johnson-rips-senate-foreign-aid-package-for-lacking-real-border-security-provisions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">criticized</a> the foreign aid package for a dearth of border security policy changes. Biden told reporters on Monday that he would be <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-open-to-meeting-with-speaker-johnson-on-foreign-aid" target="_blank" rel="noopener">open to meeting</a> with Johnson to discuss the matter, after which the speaker&#8217;s team said they looked forward to the White House communicating when the president will be available.
Biden also <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1759614523856539754" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rejected</a> a reporter&#8217;s question asking if he would go as far as to say Navalny&#8217;s &#8220;blood is on the hands&#8221; of Republicans in the House, countering with, &#8220;I wouldn&#8217;t use that term, but they&#8217;re making a big mistake not responding.&#8221;

US National Security Council (NSC) spokesman John Kirby

White House Teases ‘Major Sanctions Package’ Against Russia In Response To Navalny’s Death

White House Teases 'Major Sanctions Package' Against Russia In Response To Navalny's Death

Alexei Navalny

Joe Biden

Politics

White House

A former FBI counterintelligence official who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/top-fbi-agent-involved-in-trump-russia-probe-arrested-for-allegedly-conspiring-with-russian-oligarch" target="_blank" rel="noopener">played a role</a> in the Trump-Russia collusion probe was sentenced to four years in prison on Thursday for accepting payments from a billionaire Russian oligarch who is under U.S. sanctions. 
Charles McGonigal was sentenced after <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-fbi-official-pleads-guilty-in-russian-oligarch-sanctions-case" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pleading guilty</a> to felonies in two different cases, one of which involved his work for Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/us-news/law/sentencing-punctuates-downfall-of-former-fbi-counterintelligence-chief-52eb4fdd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. McGonigal, who worked on some of America’s most important national security cases over a two-decade period with the bureau, was arrested in January and charged with accepting payments from Deripaska in exchange for digging up dirt on one of the sanctioned oligarch’s Russian rivals. 
Just before he retired from the FBI, McGonigal was involved in the investigation into former President Donald Trump’s alleged ties to Russia, allegations a special counsel <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/in-other-words-it-was-made-up-jim-jordan-rips-trump-russia-conspiracy-after-latest-durham-filing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> suggested were never “technically plausible.” The former FBI official played a role in the bureau’s probe of former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page when in 2017, McGonigal texted a colleague, saying, &#8220;Our Team is currently talking to [Carter Page] re Russia,&#8221; The Washington Free Beacon <a href="https://freebeacon.com/latest-news/plot-twist-ex-fbi-agent-involved-in-trump-russia-probe-indicted-over-ties-to-russian-oligarch/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. 
The report added that McGonigal was among the first FBI officials briefed on allegations that George Papadopoulos discussed Hillary Clinton’s emails with a foreign diplomat, a conversation that led the FBI to open its investigation of the Trump campaign. The investigation plagued the former president throughout his first term but ultimately found no evidence of collusion.
After his guilty plea in August, federal prosecutors sought a five-year sentence for the disgraced former FBI agent, arguing that he exploited his important post to develop relationships that would benefit him when he left the bureau and got into security consulting. McGonigal’s lawyers admitted that his misconduct potentially put U.S. national security at risk, but they defended him by pointing to his 22-year career in the FBI in which he “made profoundly important contributions to our government.”
From 2016 to 2018, McGonigal oversaw the FBI’s counterintelligence division in New York and supervised investigations into Russian oligarchs, which included Deripaska, according to <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/12/14/ex-fbi-counterintelligence-official-gets-over-4-years-in-prison-for-aiding-russian-oligarch-00131911" target="_blank" rel="noopener">POLITICO</a>. The U.S. placed Deripaska under sanctions in 2018 in response to Russia’s invasion and occupation of Crimea, and during McGonigal’s trial, prosecutors said the former FBI official attempted to help Deripaska get off the U.S.-imposed sanctions list. The U.S. District Court for Washington, D.C., also found there was evidence that the Russian billionaire businessman acted as an agent of Russian President Vladimir Putin. 
A few months before McGonigal retired from the FBI he met one of Deripaska’s agents, which is when he began to develop a relationship with Deripaska even though he knew the oligarch was associated with a Russian intelligence agency, according to prosecutors, the WSJ reported. Prosecutors said that after his retirement, McGonigal met with Deripaska in London and Vienna as he began helping the oligarch seek ways to get off U.S. sanctions.
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McGonigal is charged in a separate case with hiding $225,000 a former Albanian intelligence official allegedly paid him while he was still working for the FBI. McGonigal is scheduled to be sentenced in that case on February 16, just ten days before he is set to report to prison for his sentence in the Russian oligarch case.

Former FBI Agent Charles McGonigal

Ex-FBI Official Who Was Part Of Trump-Russia Probe Sentenced To Prison After Working For Sanctioned Russian Oligarch

Crime

A former top <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fbi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FBI</a> official who was involved in Russia-focused investigations pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate U.S. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/sanctions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sanctions</a> on a wealthy Russian oligarch.
Charles McGonigal, a 55-year-old retired special agent who led the New York FBI Counterintelligence Division, entered a guilty plea in New York on Tuesday for one count of conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and to commit money laundering. He had previously pleaded not guilty in the case.
During his court appearance, McGonigal told the judge he was &#8220;deeply remorseful&#8221; for his behavior and took &#8220;full responsibility&#8221; for his decisions, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/15/politics/charles-mcgonigal-fbi/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to media <a href="https://apnews.com/article/mcgonigal-russian-oligarch-plea-fbi-c853b2963d8cf98471001c3d9e3f24c9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a>. He also insisted that his actions &#8220;never intended to hurt the United States, the FBI and my family and friends.&#8221;
The charge relates to McGonigal agreeing in 2021 to provide services to Oleg Deripaska, a sanctioned Russian oligarch whom he investigated as a member of the bureau, by doing research on a rival Russian oligarch in exchange for secret payments, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/former-special-agent-charge-new-york-fbi-counterintelligence-division-pleads-guilty" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to the Department of Justice</a>.
&#8220;After his tenure as a high-level FBI official who supervised and participated in investigations of Russian oligarchs, Charles McGonigal has now admitted that he agreed to evade U.S. sanctions by providing services to one of those oligarchs, Oleg Deripaska,&#8221; said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams. &#8220;This Office will continue to hold to account those who violate U.S. sanctions for their own financial benefit.&#8221;
In 2018, the Treasury Department unveiled sanctions against Deripaska and some of the companies associated with him — along with others — in response to &#8220;<a href="https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm0338" target="_blank" rel="noopener">malign activity</a>&#8221; around the globe by Russia. The Department of Justice <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/russian-oligarch-oleg-vladimirovich-deripaska-and-associates-indicted-sanctions-evasion-and" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> in September of last year the unsealing of an indictment charging Deripaska and others with violating U.S. sanctions in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
McGonigal was reportedly <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/former-fbi-official-charles-mcgonigal-arrested-ties-russian/story?id=96609658" target="_blank" rel="noopener">arrested</a> in January at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York upon returning from a trip abroad. He initially pleaded not guilty in the New York case. McGonigal separately <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/01/25/charles-mcgonigal-russia-albania-payments/11118823002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pleaded not guilty</a> in Washington, D.C., where he was accused of concealing $225,000 in cash from someone who had served as an Albanian intelligence operative who <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2023/01/25/charles-mcgonigal-russia-albania-payments/11118823002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">became an FBI informant</a>.
His attorney, Seth DuCharme, said in a recent status call in the D.C. matter that there was a “decent chance the case is going to be resolved” without having to go to trial, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/04/politics/fbi-charles-mcgonigal/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to CNN</a>. The report noted that the judge in that case set a hearing for September 13.
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With the New York guilty plea, McGonigal faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled to take place on December 14.

Former FBI Official Pleads Guilty In Russian Oligarch Sanctions Case

Former FBI Agent Pleads Guilty In Russia Sanctions Case

Russia stands to make significantly more off energy exports this year, despite a torrent of international backlash over its invasion of Ukraine.
Russia is expected to make $320 billion this year in energy exports to Europe and elsewhere amid a sharp increase in fuel prices, according to <a href="https://financialpost.com/pmn/business-pmn/russia-sidesteps-sanctions-to-flood-a-willing-world-with-energy">Bloomberg Economics</a>. That level of revenue is more than a third over what the petrostate earned in energy exports last year.
Western nations have placed heavy sanctions on the Russian economy since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in late February. Though sanctions have drastically slowed Russia’s economy, Western nations have been unable to replace the significant quantities of Russian energy they have come to rely on in recent decades. The United States even placed an exemption for the energy sector in its latest round of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-sanctions-putins-daughters-over-reported-war-crimes-in-ukraine">sanctions</a> on Russia’s largest financial institution, Sberbank.
“There is no doubt that the financial and other sanctions have weakened the Russian economy and its ability to source certain materials needed to pursue its war in Ukraine. But the sanctions fall short of crippling the economy, as long as they do not interrupt the flow of revenue from exports, which finances the budget and also ensures continued availability of foreign exchange to pay for needed (and unsanctioned) imports,” wrote Patrick Honohan, a fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, in a <a href="https://www.piie.com/blogs/realtime-economic-issues-watch/russias-ruble-actions-are-monetary-theater-absurd">blog post</a> last week.
The European Union has acted just as reticent to put sanctions on Russian energy as the United States. EU officials approved sanctions on Russian coal last week, however, the sanctions will not kick in until mid-August reportedly due to lobbying from Germany. Coal also represents just a fraction of the energy that Europe imports from Russia. As <a href="https://fortune.com/2022/04/09/european-coal-ban-russia/">Fortune</a> reports:
<blockquote>In 2021, Russia accounted for roughly 70% of the E.U.’s thermal coal imports—that’s the kind of coal used to generate electricity—and despite attempts to diversify away from fossil fuels, around 16% of the E.U.’s total electricity production is expected to come from thermal coal in 2022, CRU Group data shows. 
Those are high numbers, but they don’t tell the whole story. 
While the E.U. pays roughly $850 million per day for Russian oil and gas, its daily coal bill is only around $20 million, according to <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2022-04-07/europe-set-to-ban-russian-coal-but-struggles-on-oil-and-gas#:~:text=The%20EU%20pays%20Russia%20%2420,day%20for%20oil%20and%20gas.">recent reports</a>.</blockquote>
European energy companies, in a nod to public pressure from Europeans, have stopped selling strictly Russian fuel. In a bid to secure goodwill from the public and to appear to be cracking down on Russian energy, European companies have begun blending Russian fuel with fuel sourced elsewhere and selling the blend instead, according to <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2022-04-08/ukraine-war-this-backdoor-keeps-russian-oil-flowing-into-europe">Bloomberg</a>. The outlet reported:
<blockquote>When is a cargo of Russian diesel not a cargo of Russian diesel? The answer is when Shell Plc, the largest European oil company, turns it into what traders refer to as a Latvian blend.
The point is to market a barrel in which only 49.99% comes from Russia; in Shell’s eyes, as long as the other 50.01 percent is sourced elsewhere, the oil cargo isn’t technically of Russian origin.
The maneuver underpins a burgeoning and opaque market for blended Russian diesel and other refined petroleum products, one of the many that oil companies and commodity traders are using to keep Russian energy flowing into Europe while at the same time satisfying public opinion that demands an end to subsidizing Vladimir Putin’s war machine.</blockquote>

Russia Expected To Make Billions More Off Energy Exports As Sanctions Fall Short

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