Washington, March 14 (NationPress) Leading Senate Democrats in the US have strongly condemned the Trump administration's decision to suspend sanctions on Russian oil, cautioning that this action may financially benefit Moscow while providing negligible relief for American consumers facing rising energy prices.

Senator Mark R. Warner, the Vice Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, remarked that this decision follows what he termed the economic repercussions of the administration's conflict with Iran.

“The conflict initiated by Trump against Iran has resulted in an incalculable toll on American lives – with 13 servicemen lost and numerous others injured – and has imposed significant financial burdens on working families,” Warner stated.

He pointed out that the administration failed to foresee critical fallout from the conflict, including global oil supply chain disruptions.

“Notably, the Trump administration did not anticipate or prepare for many of the expected repercussions of this military action – such as the effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which has severed 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas supply,” Warner stated.

He further highlighted the alarming rise in energy costs in recent weeks.

“In just the last two weeks, gas prices have surged by over 60 cents per gallon, driving up costs for consumers at the pump and affecting prices for air travel, groceries, and beyond,” he noted.

Warner expressed that the decision to pause sanctions on Russian oil would have minimal impact on overall prices yet could significantly enrich Moscow.

“Trump’s choice to halt sanctions on Russian oil will scarcely affect the soaring gas prices but will ultimately benefit Putin as he continues his aggressive campaign against Ukraine,” he remarked.

“Given Russia’s strong ties with Iran, this short-sighted concession to Putin fortifies our adversaries, undermines Ukraine’s struggle for independence, and forces American families to bear the burden of inflated prices.”

Other prominent Senate Democrats, including Jeanne Shaheen, Elizabeth Warren, and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, also expressed their apprehensions regarding the administration's decision. They indicated that the move might financially empower Russia.

“President Trump’s choice to ease sanctions against Russia exemplifies how Putin has become a significant beneficiary of Trump’s misguided and poorly executed strategy in Iran,” the senators stated in a joint declaration.

They emphasized that this decision could lead to substantial new revenue streams for Moscow.

“Reports indicate that Russia is supplying Iran with intelligence to target and eliminate US servicemen, yet the Trump administration’s response has been to relax pressure, enabling a daily windfall of $150 million for its military operations,” they added.

The senators raised concerns about whether the administration adhered to congressional mandates regarding sanctions policy.

“This action also brings to light serious issues concerning the Treasury Secretary’s changing justifications for his use of sanctions authority and whether the Trump Administration is once again disregarding the requirement under the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act to inform Congress prior to relaxing sanctions on Russia,” they remarked.

“The intentional circumvention of Congress raises significant questions about whether the Administration is attempting to avoid triggering privileged votes of disapproval regarding sanctions relief for Russia and evading accountability for this concession to Putin.”

They also referred to previous testimony by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

“Just last month, Secretary Bessent testified under oath that Treasury’s sanctions on two Russian oil firms were so impactful that they compensated for the Trump Administration's suspension of all regular sanctions for an entire year,” the statement noted.

“Now, he expects us to accept that relaxing those same sanctions, along with others targeting various Russian entities like additional oil companies, traders, intermediaries, and shadow fleet operators, is a ‘narrowly tailored’ measure, even while it facilitates immense profits for those entities.”

The lawmakers insisted that the Treasury Secretary should appear before Congress to clarify the decision.

“Secretary Bessent must testify because Congress and the American populace deserve prompt answers.”