The US imported $455,000 worth of Russian chicken eggs for the first time in decades despite sanctions, RIA Novosti reported on September 5, citing data from the US statistical service.

The unprecedented July purchase marks the first shipment of Russian eggs to the US since 1992.

An outbreak of avian flu outbreak early this year devastated domestic poultry stocks, which created an egg shortage and a sharp increase in prices. Russia has also suffered from a shortage of eggs this year that has driven up prices, but has taken the opportunity to make some money and embarrass Washington by exporting eggs to the US.

Despite some price relief in recent months, egg costs in July remained 16.4% higher than the same period last year, prompting Washington to seek new sources to stabilize the market. The US spent $455,000 on fresh chicken eggs from Russia in July, according to the report.

“Eggs are just the beginning. In the same Russian article on eggs was another piece from last week about the US Treasury issuing waivers on Russian diamonds, “Olga Lautman, a political analyst with Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), wrote in a post.

Just days before those egg shipments showed up in a US trade report, the Treasury Department quietly issued a new general license for Russian diamonds. The sanctions imposed in 2024 had banned them outright, cutting off one of Russia’s most profitable export streams, but as of September 1, the ban has been softened with carve-outs and grandfather clauses.

“Little by little, Trump is rolling back sanctions meant to choke off Kremlin revenue, and the US is quietly opening the door to Russian blood money,” Lautman said.

“Every waiver, exemption, and so-called “grandfathered” clause is money funnelled straight into the Kremlin’s genocidal war chest, funding the bombs, drones, and missiles that slaughter Ukrainians every day,” Lautman said. “Trump continues giving a lifeline to a regime waging a campaign of annihilation, which is why Russian state media rushes to broadcast these deals as proof that the US is on Russia’s side. Eggs, diamonds, fertilizer, uranium — every carve-out, no matter how small, tells Putin he can continue killing with impunity.”

Trade between Russia and the United States has dropped by nearly 90% since the invasion of Ukraine to $3bn in goods imports from Russia last year.