US Democrats slam Trump, Russia oil sanctions pause

WASHINGTON: Senior US Senate Democrats have sharply criticised the Trump administration’s decision to pause sanctions on Russian oil, warning the move could enrich Moscow while doing little to ease rising energy costs for Americans.

US Senator Mark R. Warner, Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said the move followed what he described as the economic fallout of the administration’s war with Iran.

“Trump’s war of choice with Iran has come with immeasurable cost to American lives – with 13 servicemembers killed and hundreds more injured – and passed enormous costs on to working families,” Warner said.

He said the administration had failed to anticipate major consequences of the conflict, including disruptions to global oil supply.

“Critically, the Trump administration failed to anticipate or plan for many of the inevitable consequences of this attack – including the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has cut off 20 per cent of the world's oil and gas supply,” Warner said.