Trump grants broad waiver on Russia sanctions as NGO lists 134 LNG vessels

Urgewald, an environmental watchdog, compiled a database of 134 vessels that have transported Russian liquefied natural gas since February 2022, moving over 150 million metric tons and another 1.5 million tons still en route as of Oct. 15. The list includes notable Arc7-class tankers such as Boris Davydov, Konstantin Posiet and Clean Horizon, some of which delivered cargo to European ports like Dunkerque. On Oct. 16, President Donald Trump issued a broad waiver that postpones the sanctions set to take effect under a law championed by the late Senator Lindsey Graham, which would have permitted tariffs of up to 100 % on the five biggest Russian gas buyers and sanctions on related ships.

Alexander Kirk of Urgewald condemned the waiver as a betrayal of the bipartisan legislation and a lifeline for Vladimir Putin. U.S. lawmakers from both parties have called for the sanctions to be applied, arguing they are needed to pressure Russia to end its war in Ukraine. The report also notes that a third of the 2,700 voyages since the invasion were operated by Greek firm Dynagas and U.K./U.S.-based Seapeak, both of which have secured exemptions allowing continued service.