Following today’s latest comments from Russia rejecting U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace proposals, the Ukrainian campaign group Razom We Stand calls for immediate, decisive action from U.S. and European leaders to end the flow of fossil fuel revenues funding Russia’s brutal war in Ukraine.
In recent days, Trump has stated about secondary sanctions that “anybody buying oil from Russia will not be able to sell their product, any product, not just oil, into the United States,” while also suggesting a “25- to 50-point tariff on all oil.” This echoes Senator Lindsay Graham’s earlier commitment to introduce “bone-breaking sanctions and tariffs against Russia before the end of the week.”
Svitlana Romanko, Founder and Executive Director of Razom We Stand, said:
“Words alone won’t stop Putin’s war machine; he is obviously intent on continuing his brutality against us Ukrainians. The world must now match tough rhetoric with real, enforceable actions that dismantle Russia’s fossil fuel economy and thus its aggressive war machine. President Trump and his administration must move beyond talk and impose immediate and comprehensive sanctions on Russian fossil fuels, close all loopholes, and shut down the shadow fleet that enables sanctions evasion. The administration must also take immediate action to ban any US firms from supporting Russia’s fossil fuel trade. Anything less leaves Ukraine vulnerable and Putin’s war chest full.”
X/tweet as quote here:
https://x.com/RazomWeStand/status/1907081041514250268
Razom We Stand Urges the Following Immediate Actions:
- Enforce “Bone-Breaking” Sanctions and Fully Ban Russian LNG Exports: Implement and enforce the robust sanctions Senator Lindsay Graham has proposed, targeting all Russian fossil fuel exports, including LNG, which continues to flow through European ports and fuels Putin’s war.
- Sanction All Shadow Fleet Vessels Facilitating Russian Oil and Gas Trade: Crack down on the shadow fleet—old, uninsured, and unregulated vessels that transport sanctioned Russian oil and LNG worldwide—by removing their access to global insurance, shipping, and port services.
- Align U.S., EU, UK, and G7 Sanctions to Close Loopholes Enabling Russian Revenues: End fragmented enforcement by harmonising sanctions regimes across allied nations, preventing Russian fossil fuels from finding buyers through weak regulatory gaps.
- Impose Secondary Tariffs on Buyers of Russian Oil and Logistical Enablers: Penalize any country, company, or entity that purchases Russian oil or enables its transport through logistical services. Secondary sanctions and steep tariffs should target all intermediaries, traders, and facilitators to ensure a true global crackdown on Russian fossil fuel revenues.
The U.S. previously undermined its own sanctions regime by allowing firms, such as SLB (formerly Schlumberger), to continue providing energy services to Russia. This kind of leniency empowers the Kremlin to evade restrictions and maintain its fossil fuel lifeline. Without a coordinated and comprehensive crackdown on Russian oil and gas exports, global leaders risk prolonging Putin’s aggression and enabling further destruction in Ukraine.
The Trump administration must take immediate action to ban SLB and any other U.S. firms from supporting Russian fossil fuel exports, closing the loopholes that allow American companies to profit while Ukrainians suffer under Russian bombardment. Without a coordinated and comprehensive crackdown on Russian oil and gas exports, global leaders risk prolonging Putin’s aggression and enabling further destruction in Ukraine.
Razom We Stand will continue to advocate for a fossil-free future that dismantles the economic foundations of tyranny and ensures lasting peace and energy security.
ENDS
Razom We Stand is a Ukrainian campaign group active internationally. It calls for a total and permanent embargo on Russian fossil fuels and an immediate end to all investment in Russian oil and gas companies by phasing out fossil fuels globally.Svitlana Romanko has appeared in the top-tier international press, including Bloomberg, Washington Post, CNN, NBC, Newsweek, Politico, The Hill, Rolling Stone, Financial Times, The Guardian, Der Spiegel, Le Monde and more.
