Calls are mounting by Democratic senators for US President Donald Trump to increase targeted sanctions on Russia’s LNG sector, Reuters reported on September 21.

The Democratic Senators expressed frustration with Trump’s inability to penalize China for accepting Russian LNG and flaunting sanctions.

Since late August, four LNG vessels from Russia’s shadow fleet have delivered cargoes from Russia’s heavily sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 facility to ports in China as Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping boldly disregard US sanctions.  

“The failure to enforce even existing sanctions against Russia and apparent willingness to give China a free pass to buy Russian energy fundamentally undercuts efforts to bring about an end to the war and to impact the Kremlin’s calculus in negotiations,” Senators Christopher Coons, Elizabeth Warren, and six other Democratic Senators wrote in a letter addressed to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Without taking strong action, the senators warned that Trump risks sending a signal to other potential purchasers of Russian LNG that they can buy supplies from sanctioned plants without any penalties.

The Senators also called on the Trump administration to reply by October 1 to questions concerning if Trump will prepare new sanctions on buyers of cargoes from sanctioned facilities.

Finding more buyers in Asia for Russian LNG would add significant revenue to the Kremlin’s war chest at a time when the US is desperately seeking to end the war in Ukraine, but having little success in convincing Putin to reach a deal with Kiev.

Since taking office for his second term, Trump has placed 25% tariffs on Indian goods in retaliation for purchasing Russian oil, however the 47th US President has held off from imposing direct sanctions on Russian energy firms.

However, Trump has pushed European partners to quit Russian energy supplies in return for stronger sanctions levied on Russia. The European Union has proposed a 19th sanctions package which would require bloc members to wean themselves off Russian LNG by January 1, 2027.