Senators press Rubio, Bessent on lack of counter-evasion sanctions on Russia

Two senior Democratic US senators, Elizabeth Warren and Christopher Coons, have questioned Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent regarding a 17-month pause in imposing sanctions on entities helping Russia evade existing restrictions. The senators noted that the administration last imposed major sanctions on Russia in October 2025, targeting oil companies Rosneft and Lukoil, but viewed these as a one-off measure. Bessent reportedly stated in February that the administration wanted to "see where the peace talks go" before resuming counter-evasion sanctions, despite imposing sanctions on Iran and Cuba during talks with those nations. Rubio acknowledged in May that peace talks between Russia and Ukraine had not been fruitful. The senators have requested a response by August 28, asking why routine sanctions have not resumed if peace talks stalled months ago.