Driven by energy supply disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz as a result of the Iran war, President Trump’s Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that the U.S. Treasury is again issuing a ‘temporary’ 30-day general license to nations who want to buy Russian oil “currently stranded at sea.”
Bessent wrote: “This extension will provide additional flexibility, and we will work with these nations to provide specific licenses as needed. This general license will help stabilize the physical crude market and ensure oil reaches the most energy-vulnerable countries. It will also help reroute existing supply to countries most in need by reducing China’s ability to stockpile discounted oil.”
Now they are helping Russia sell its oil. Incredible. Russia’s best friends. https://t.co/KfjC2OClFy
— Rasmus Jarlov (@RasmusJarlov) May 18, 2026
[NOTE: This temporary 30-day general license has now been issued three times: on March 12 (expired April 11) and April 17 (expired May 16); the latest version expires June 18.]
U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) — Ranking Member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee — and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) — Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee — criticized the Trump administration and called the move an “indefensible gift” to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The lawmakers said in a joint statement: “Every additional dollar the Kremlin earns from this license helps Putin finance his illegal war against Ukraine and kill innocent Ukrainians.”
[NOTE: As seen below, Shaheen voiced her concerns last week to Trump’s Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth about Iran receiving intelligence from Russia to target U.S. service members in the Middle East, “even as we loosen sanctions on the Kremlin.”]
Shaheen asserted that “Russia is making $4 billion a month in oil sanctions relief because we’ve loosened those sanctions,” and asked Hegseth, “Don’t you think we should be adding more pressure on Russia, and putting those sanctions back on those Russian oil ships so they are not continuing to fund Iran in this war?”
Hegseth responded by saying, “The destruction of Iran’s defense industrial base has been clear and overwhelming.”
HEGSETH: We know Russia is a nefarious actor and account for tha–
SHAHEEN: All evidence to the contrary. We’re not accounting for that if we’re giving Russia the opportunity to earn $4 billion a month by leaving sanctions lifted pic.twitter.com/Z0OoSUpOLn
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 12, 2026
Olga Lautman, Senior Fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) in Washington, D.C. and host of the podcast Kremlin File, also replied: “The U.S. is helping fund Russia’s genocidal war. Shame on anyone who supports this or helps facilitate it.”
Former Minister for Industry, Business and Financial Affairs of Denmark, Rasmus Jarlov, also criticized the U.S., writing: “Now they are helping Russia sell its oil. Incredible. Russia’s best friends.”