Washington: The Trump administration has reimposed sanctions on Russian seaborne oil after allowing a controversial waiver to expire. This move, effective from May 16 following the Treasury Department's decision not to renew General License 134B, aims to tighten pressure on the Kremlin while grappling with the potential disruption to global energy markets already affected by the ongoing conflict in Iran and instability around the Strait of Hormuz. According to Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty, the waiver, initially introduced in March and extended in April, allowed transactions involving certain Russian oil cargoes loaded before the sanctions deadline. The administration defended this measure as a temporary safeguard to prevent a global energy shock as Middle Eastern conflicts pushed oil prices higher, threatening key shipping routes. However, critics in Washington and Kyiv argued that this policy provided Moscow with a financial reprieve at a time when the U.S. and its European allies were intensifying econo mic pressure on Russia over its war against Ukraine. Two senior Democratic senators, Jeanne Shaheen and Elizabeth Warren, criticized the waiver on May 15, urging the administration not to renew it. They argued that the waiver did not reduce fuel costs for American consumers while allowing Russia to continue generating significant oil revenue. They described the policy as aiding Russia's financial gains amid President Trump's actions in Iran. Republican lawmakers also expressed support for maintaining sanctions against Moscow, although some warned against policies that might harm allied economies reliant on Russian energy supplies. Brian Mast, the Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, supported the continuation of sanctions but emphasized that policies must not cause more harm to allies than to Russia itself. The decision comes at a time when U.S. gasoline prices remain high, and inflation continues to impact consumers ahead of the midterm elections in November. The waiver had been one of the most contentious sanctions exemptions since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with some European officials privately expressing concerns that easing restrictions undermined broader efforts to cut off Moscow's wartime income. Despite the waiver's expiration, analysts are skeptical about the sustainability of the administration's tougher stance. It is believed that several energy-dependent Asian countries, including India and Indonesia, have lobbied for an extension due to Middle Eastern instability tightening global energy supplies. Brett Erickson, a sanctions expert at Obsidian Risk Advisors, noted the conflict between geopolitical objectives and energy-market realities faced by Washington. Erickson suggested that the Treasury might offer additional sanctions relief soon, given the cycle of public toughness followed by policy reversals due to market pressures. Analysts are already considering the possibility of another temporary extension or a narrower carve-out benefiting major Asian refiners, s uch as India's Reliance Industries, especially as global strategic petroleum reserves decline. For Ukraine, the temporary easing of sanctions lacked strategic justification. Vladyslav Vlasiuk, a senior adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has consistently advocated for stronger sanctions against Russia, arguing that they expedite peace negotiations. He questioned the significance of Russian exports in offsetting supply disruptions from the Strait of Hormuz instability. Geopolitical stakes may rise further next week as U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to visit India amid increasing diplomatic pressure surrounding energy security, sanctions enforcement, and global crude supply arrangements.