US President Donald Trump has not imposed any new sanctions against Russia related to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In some cases, the administration softened restrictions. And without new ones, analysts say, existing measures lose their force. UNN reports this with reference to The New York Times.

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As a result, new shell companies have emerged that can pump funds and critical components, including computer chips and military equipment, into Russia that would otherwise have been cut off from the Kremlin, trade and corporate records show. – writes NYT.

It is noted that sanctions became a central element of the West’s efforts to isolate Russia after its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. These efforts have turned into an international game of “cat and mouse” as tax evasion schemes regularly emerged around the world.

Trump’s approach to economic state governance is to put pressure, gain leverage, and try to get the best possible deal. For some reason, in the case of Russia, he does not want to have any leverage over Putin – said Edward Fishman, a senior research fellow at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University.

The Biden administration imposed an average of more than 170 new sanctions per month against Russia-linked entities from 2022 to 2024. Targets included oil and weapons manufacturing, technology acquisition, and banking.

In total, the Biden administration has imposed more than 6,200 blocking actions against individuals, companies, ships, and aircraft linked to Russia. According to a Times analysis of Treasury Department data, in the final weeks of Biden’s term, the U.S. further ramped up pressure, issuing nearly three times as many as the monthly average.

As NYT writes, the effects of this pressure are already beginning to fade.

A Times review of trade records, online listings, and corporate documents found more than 130 companies in mainland China and Hong Kong that advertise immediate sales of restricted computer chips to Russia. None of the companies are sanctioned. If one company is restricted, many others are ready to take its place – the article says.

One of these firms, HK GST Limited, advertises chips needed for Russian cruise missiles, including the Kh-101, which was recently used in a strike on Kyiv that killed 10 civilians.

The firm was registered in Hong Kong nine months ago, and its website was created in February. An analysis of website hosting data, domain ownership, code patterns, and contact information links the company to a network of four similar electronics distributors, including Singapore-based ChipsX and Carbon Fiber Global, a China-based manufacturer of high-performance drone parts. All these companies were established within the last three years.

Zelenskyy urged partners to ensure their companies do not supply components for Russian missiles

Several companies in the network have sent restricted components to Russia, violating US export control rules, trade data, online listings, and company registration records show. A representative for Carbon Fiber Global denied that the company or ChipsX sold restricted goods to Russia, but declined to answer questions about other companies in the network – the article states.

For sanctions to work, you have to keep running just to stay in place – said Elina Rybakova, an economist at the Peterson Institute for International Economics.

She added that without continuous maintenance of restrictions, Russian workarounds, such as the creation of shadow companies like HK GST Limited and ChipsX, could become a reality.

NYT stresses that the sharp change in US sanctioning underscores Trump’s non-intervention in Russian affairs, even despite escalating hostilities in the region.

Since the beginning of the year, Russia has intensified its campaign in Ukraine, carrying out waves of drone and missile attacks that have resulted in numerous deaths and significant damage to civilian infrastructure. Analysts say the Kremlin has quickly taken advantage of America’s growing retreat to increase its battlefield advantage.

Trump’s inaction drew criticism from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers, who argue that the administration is undermining Western efforts to counter Russian aggression.

In a statement, a White House spokesman said Trump was urging Russian and Ukrainian leaders to “stop the killing while keeping all options open.”

NYT notes that data shows the president has aggressively used sanctions in other areas. Over the past six months, Trump has imposed more than 280 new restrictions against Iran, targeting individuals involved in financing terrorism. He has also penalized International Criminal Court judges for investigating possible Israeli war crimes. And he has used sanctions to combat drug trafficking and cybercrime groups.

Instead, the Trump administration eased some restrictions on Russia. In April, the Treasury Department, which is responsible for administering and enforcing sanctions, quietly lifted restrictions that had been imposed on Karina Rotenberg, the wife of a Russian oligarch. Rotenberg’s husband, Boris, made a fortune in construction and energy, and as a childhood friend of Mr. Putin, he has been a central figure in the Russian president’s inner circle for decades. – writes NYT.

The announcement, placed at the bottom of a regular bulletin published in April, did not explain Rotenberg’s removal from the sanctions list. It was an unusual removal. Rotenberg, a US citizen, was one of the first Russian citizens to face sanctions after the Russian invasion.

Sybiha: “Only in April this year, Russia earned about $13 billion from the sale of energy resources”

In February, the Department of Justice closed down the KleptoCapture Task Force, a unit formed in 2022 to identify and seize assets belonging to sanctioned Russian oligarchs around the world. This task force coordinated interagency investigations that led to high-profile seizures of luxury yachts, real estate, and private jets. According to former KleptoCapture head Andrew Adams, the Department of Justice recently created a task force with a similar structure that will focus on Hamas.

It is noted that Russia was also notably excluded from the White House’s “Liberation Day” tariffs, which targeted trade with almost all other countries. According to Census Bureau data, the U.S. imported more than $3 billion worth of Russian goods in 2024, more than it imported from Greece or Egypt.

The waiver of tariffs surprised experts, especially given that Trump boasted of import taxes’ ability to bring countries to the negotiating table. According to Fishman, he used tariffs not only as a trade tool, but also as a “form of sanctions.”

Together, these actions signal that the U.S. is now more willing to tolerate Russia’s war and less interested in suppressing it, said Maria Shagina, a senior research fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

America’s retreat has allowed the European Union to take the lead in imposing sanctions against Russia.

EU officially extends sanctions against Russia for six months

According to a Times analysis, EU restrictions have generally been far less comprehensive so far, especially when it comes to companies and individuals outside of Russia who help Moscow circumvent sanctions. These so-called third-country networks are important communication channels for the Kremlin to maintain its wartime supply chains.

The number of sanctions imposed by the United States to date exceeds that of the European Union by more than twofold. But, experts say, this ratio is beginning to change.

In the past, the U.S. led these efforts for geopolitical reasons. But that has changed dramatically. Europe has taken the lead — said Maximilian Hess, a research fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute’s Eurasia Program.

However, members of Congress have begun to push for legislative efforts against Russia.

Addition

Recently, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham stated that Donald Trump would support new sanctions against Russia.

Graham stated that the Senate plans to pass a law imposing devastating sanctions against Russia in response to Vladimir Putin’s actions against Ukraine. He also proposes an amendment to his bill on sanctions against Russia to exempt countries that assist Ukraine’s defense capabilities from a 500 percent tariff on trade with the aggressor country.