Donald Trump Lets Russian Oil Sanctions Waiver Expire

A temporary U.S. sanctions waiver permitting the sale and delivery of Russian seaborne crude oil expired on June 17, 2026. The White House and the United States Department of the Treasury did not publish an extension of the license, which had been used since March to protect vulnerable Asian economies and stabilize global energy markets during a conflict with Iran.

Donald Trump indicated that the administration can now let the waiver lapse because a memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran ended the war and restored oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz. Speaking at the G7 summit in France, Trump remained noncommittal about the immediate timing for formally reimposing sanctions, though he noted that tumbling global energy prices make such a move possible.

The decision followed pressure from U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Elizabeth Warren, who urged the president to deny further extensions. The senators argued that the original rationale for the waivers was no longer valid and that the exemptions provided Vladimir Putin with financial gains to fund the invasion of Ukraine. European allies had similarly criticized the waivers for financially aiding Russia.