US senators in Ukraine urge tougher pressure on Russian "shadow fleet"

Sanctions bills and the “shadow fleet”

Late last year, they passed legislation including hundreds of millions of dollars in assistance for Zelenskiy's government, which Trump signed into law. One of the main bills in congress related to Ukraine that has not yet passed would impose sanctions on countries that buy Russian oil, gas and uranium.

The bill, introduced by Blumenthal and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, has the support of 85 of the 100 senators but has not come up for a vote.

The Senate's Republican leaders have not brought the bill up for a vote because of resistance from Trump, who has kept decisions on sanctions at the White House, not congress, since starting his second term in January 2025.

The Democratic senators travelled in Ukraine said they hoped the sanctions would pass soon and expressed optimism about another bill that would rein in the "shadow fleet" of ageing tankers that carry Russian crude to China, India and other countries.