Ukrainian campaign group Razom We Stand today responded to reports that U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, will travel to Russia today (August 6). This is just days before the deadline for Russia to take steps to end its war on Ukraine or face new sanctions.
President Trump stated last week: “There’ll be sanctions, but they seem to be pretty good at avoiding sanctions.” This came just days after Russia launched a deadly attack on Kyiv, killing 31 people, including five children and injuring a further 159 people.
While Russia has shown it is more than capable of finding loopholes in existing sanctions, there is solid evidence to prove that works. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) estimates that sanctions on Russia have deprived the Russian state of at least $450 billion in war funds between February 2022 and June 2025, including $154 billion in lost oil tax revenues. In April, Russia’s monthly fossil fuel export revenues dropped 6% month-on-month to EUR 585 million daily. Moreover, shadow-fleet penetration fell from 65% to 53% between January and April, after the UK, EU and other allies added more vessels to their sanction lists.
Dr Svitlana Romanko, Founder and Executive Director of Razom We Stand, said: “Sanctions against Russia’s oil and gas industry work, and save Ukrainian lives. They must be strengthened, not questioned. Since the beginning of the war, Russia has earned more than $1 trillion (€921 billion) from fossil fuel exports, funding the brutality, murder, and war crimes committed against Ukrainians for over three years. Existing measures have already forced Russia into longer trade routes, higher shipping costs, and shrinking foreign reserves, proof that pressure is working. But instead of acting decisively, President Trump is sending an envoy to Moscow just days before his deadline, effectively giving the Kremlin more time to prepare for sanctions it has long evaded. These measures are needed now, not after more delays. This is the moment to close every loophole and shut down the flows of cash that keep Putin’s war machine alive.”
Russia’s economy grew more than 4% last year and is expected to grow again this year, despite sanctions. Putin has shifted to a wartime economy and relied on a network of new trading partners, including China and India, supported by a “shadow fleet” of tankers to skirt restrictions. However, there are signs of change: following Trump’s threat of penalties against India if they continue to purchase Russian oil, state-owned refineries reportedly paused purchases of Russian crude, a clear sign that sanctions can work when firmly applied.
Razom We Stand is calling on President Trump and global leaders to press this advantage by taking coordinated, bold steps, including:
- Imposing a total embargo on Russian fossil fuels and, at minimum, lowering the oil price cap to $20–25 per barrel, reflecting real market conditions and Ukraine’s national position.
- Blacklisting Russia at the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to cut off illicit financial flows and force compliance.
- Dismantling Russia’s shadow fleet by enforcing maritime transparency, beneficial ownership disclosure, and stricter oversight of insurers and flag states.
- Applying severe secondary sanctions on Russia’s key oil customers, including China and India, to cut demand at its source.
- Aligning sanctions enforcement across the G7, EU, UK, and U.S. to eliminate loopholes that keep Russian fossil fuel revenues flowing.
Greater alignment on sanctions between Ukraine’s allies is vital to stopping Russia from finding loopholes and evading sanctions. Razom We Stand research found that only 26 of 81 identified LNG tankers linked to Russian LNG projects have been sanctioned as of early August. That leaves over 505 vessels still freely operating, funding Putin’s war machine and enabling the continued killing of Ukrainian civilians, while the shadow fleet sales on.
Razom We Stand urge President Trump and allied leaders to stop wasting time on Moscow meetings and act now: shut down Russia’s oil and gas lifelines, close every sanction loophole, and cut off the cash that fuels Putin’s war against Ukraine.
ENDS
Razom We Stand is a Ukraine-based 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 Washington Post, CNN, NBC, Newsweek, The Hill, Rolling Stone, Financial Times, Bloomberg, Politico, Der Spiegel, Le Monde, The Guardian and more.
