Revision History

The Trump administration issued a 30-day waiver allowing the purchase of Russian oil stranded at sea, citing the need to stabilize energy markets disrupted by the Iran conflict and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. European leaders — including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer — responded with a rare united front of condemnation, calling the move a gift to Putin's war machine, while Ukraine's President Zelenskyy warned the waiver could funnel $10 billion to Russia's military.