US Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that the current policy of the United States involves increased sanctions pressure on the Russian oil sector. During his speech at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he highlighted that Washington aims to lift the temporary sanctions relief on Russian oil as soon as possible and return to stricter restrictions.
This is reported by Finway
US Plans for Sanctions on Russian Oil
In response to Senator Jeanne Shaheen’s question about the continued application of exceptions in the sanctions regime, Marco Rubio stated that the final decision would be made by the US Department of the Treasury, taking into account the situation in the global oil market. At the same time, the official stressed that the US administration would gradually reduce such exceptions in order to return to a classic sanctions approach.
“We would like to end this as soon as possible, as the fundamental policy of the US is sanctions against Russian oil. The current exceptions are temporary and were introduced to support global supplies,” said the Secretary of State.
History and Development of Restrictions on Russian Oil Exports
The temporary easing of US sanctions was introduced in May 2026. At that time, the US authorities allowed certain exceptions for batches of Russian oil that were already at sea, in order to stabilize prices in the global energy market and avoid sharp fluctuations.
However, Washington has already stated its readiness to return to a strict sanctions regime. As early as October 2025, the US increased pressure on the Russian oil sector by imposing restrictions on “Rosneft,” “Lukoil,” and 34 subsidiaries. Sanctions automatically apply to all companies in which these entities hold more than 50% of the shares.
Additionally, the so-called “shadow fleet” of Russia — old tankers used to circumvent international restrictions — has been sanctioned. More than 600 such vessels are under sanctions from the US, EU, and the UK.
In March and April 2026, the Donald Trump administration temporarily eased some restrictions amid risks to the global oil market, allowing the completion of deliveries of Russian oil that had already been loaded and was at sea by specified dates. However, since May 16, 2026, these exceptions were not extended, and the full sanctions regime against maritime supplies of Russian oil was reinstated.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also stated that the United States does not plan to continue easing restrictions on Russian oil. According to him, the sanctions policy can only be reviewed if significant progress is made in achieving a peaceful resolution to the war.