Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on November 24, 2025
3 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Senator Warren criticizes Trump's lax sanctions on Russian LNG, aiding Moscow's war funding. Calls for stricter enforcement.
(Corrects paragraphs 5 and 6 to show that the statement is by Senator Elizabeth Warren only, not by all four Democratic senators)
By Timothy Gardner
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Four Democratic U.S. senators said on Monday that lax enforcement by the Trump administration of sanctions on Russia's Arctic LNG 2 export terminal allows China to buy discounted liquefied natural gas and helps Moscow fund the war in Ukraine.
The lawmakers, including Senator Elizabeth Warren, urged the Trump administration in September to resume targeted sanctions on Russian energy supplies, saying it was giving China a "free pass" by allowing it to buy discounted LNG from Arctic LNG 2.
The administration imposed its first direct sanctions on Russia in October on its two biggest oil and gas companies, Lukoil and Rosneft, and said further sanctions on Russian entities could follow.
But the Arctic LNG 2 operator, Novatek, which is co-owned by some of Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest allies, has sold about 14 cargoes of LNG since August, with Chinese buyers receiving discounts of about 30% to 40%.
"This is just the latest example of Donald Trump failing to put pressure on Putin and bring Russia to the negotiating table," Warren said in a statement.
BILLIONS IN REVENUE
LNG from Arctic LNG 2 is an "energy revenue stream worth billions for Putin’s war machine that had previously been disrupted by consistent, targeted U.S. sanctions," Warren said. Former President Joe Biden first imposed sanctions on the project in late 2023.
The senators pressed the administration on what they called lax sanctions enforcement as U.S. and Ukrainian officials said they had drafted a "refined peace framework" after talks in Geneva on Sunday, without providing specifics.
A White House official said Trump wants an end to the killing and for Russia and Ukraine to make a peace deal. "President Trump believes that there is a chance to end this senseless war if flexibility is shown."
The State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The State Department said in responses dated on Friday to Warren and other senators who sent the September letter, including Tim Kaine and Chris Van Hollen, "we will give careful consideration to imposing sanctions in response," to information the senators had sent it about Arctic LNG 2.
The senators said the State Department had answered none of their questions about imposing sanctions on the facility.
The senators said Congress must require a review of any proposed unwinding of U.S. sanctions imposed on Russia for its Ukraine invasion, "instead of letting Trump cede the rest of our critical leverage."
(Reporting by Timothy Gardner in WashingtonEditing by Rod Nickel and Matthew Lewis)
LNG stands for liquefied natural gas, which is natural gas that has been cooled to a liquid state for ease of storage and transport.
Sanctions are penalties or restrictions imposed by one country on another to influence its behavior, often relating to trade, finance, or diplomatic relations.
Targeted sanctions are specific measures aimed at individuals, entities, or sectors of a country's economy to achieve foreign policy objectives without broadly impacting the general population.
The Arctic LNG 2 project is a liquefied natural gas production facility located in Russia's Arctic region, aimed at exporting LNG to global markets.
Energy revenue streams refer to the income generated from the production and sale of energy resources, which can significantly impact a country's economy and funding capabilities.
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