Overview
- Democratic Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, Chris Coons, Richard Blumenthal and Sheldon Whitehouse traveled to Odesa for the first Senate visit to the Black Sea port since the war began, meeting coast guards, naval officials and U.S. business representatives.
- The lawmakers said they will press for stiff new energy sanctions, including tariffs and secondary measures to deter purchases of Russian oil, gas and uranium, with a priority on targeting Moscow’s shadow fleet of tankers.
- The sweeping Blumenthal–Graham sanctions and tariff package has support from 85 senators but has not reached the Senate floor as sanctions decisions remain centered at the White House.
- Following meetings in Odesa, the senators said they would detail attacks on U.S. companies operating in Ukraine and push the administration to send more American weapons.
- Two days of Geneva talks ended without a breakthrough, and the senators warned they would resist any agreement that forces excessive Ukrainian concessions while seeking strong security guarantees for Kyiv.