On January 15, US Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), a member of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus and Helsinki Commission, introduced two bipartisan bills to tighten the ban on Russian petroleum products and restrict US involvement in Russia’s energy sector.
The Ending Importation of Laundered Russian Oil Act would close the “refining loophole” that allows Russian oil to be laundered through third-party countries and sold in the United States as gasoline and other petroleum products, and the No Aid for Russian Energy Act would ban US companies and individuals — and their foreign subsidiaries — from providing petroleum equipment, software, or services to Russia.
Ending Importation of Laundered Russian Oil Act
“While more military assistance to Ukraine remains the most urgent priority, much more must be done to reduce funding for Putin’s ‘well-oiled’ war machine,” said Rep. Doggett. “Russia is selling millions of barrels of oil that are refined through foreign refineries and resold around the world. For too long, Americans have unknowingly been helping to fund both sides of this war. Though critical of refining in India, Trump has ignored the modest flow of laundered Russian oil still being imported to America, which represents enough income to buy thousands of deadly drones. The European Union is finally closing this “refining” loophole; we need to do the same.”
The bill is cosponsored by Don Bacon (R-NE), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Rich McCormick (R-GA), Gwen Moore (D-WI), Donald Norcross (D-NJ), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Mike Quigley (D-IL), Brad Schneider (D-IL), Chris Smith (R-NJ), and Joe Wilson (R-SC).
No Aid for Russian Energy Act
“As Putin continues to kill Ukrainians, Texas oilfield service companies have continued to help him fund the war by strengthening Russian energy production,” said Rep. Doggett. “This legislation would do what the Trump Administration should already have done—stop American companies from oiling the Putin war machine.”
The Biden Administration banned US petroleum services from providing support to Russia in January 2025. However, US oilfield services companies have continued to enable Russian oil despite US sanctions through a vast network of foreign subsidiaries.
The bill is cosponsored by Don Bacon (R-NE), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Dan Goldman (D-NY), Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), and Mike Quigley (D-IL).
New reports show US companies, most notably Houston-based energy giant SLB, continue to enable Russia’s oil profits, which Moscow uses to finance its war against Ukraine. This ongoing engagement undermines sanctions and directly contradicts US national interests. Washington must fully defund Russia’s oil sector by every available means. Deprived of American equipment and expertise, the sector would rapidly degrade. That is why B4Ukraine proudly supports this bill as a critical step toward cutting war funding and bringing a just peace closer.
A ban on imports of refined products from refineries running on Russian crude is also urgently needed. Between January 2024 and June 2025, the US imported $3.6 bn of oil products from three refineries in India. Of this, an estimated $1.5 bn was processed using Russian crude. Because the volumes involved are marginal for the United States, experts agree this policy is unlikely to affect gas prices. What it will do is reduce demand for Russian oil and create clear incentives for refineries to move away from Russian crude if they wish to export to the US market. Closing this loophole is therefore a common-sense step for the United States: it weakens Russia’s capacity to wage war while imposing no cost on American taxpayers.