[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 549 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 549

     Urging the Trump Administration to seize shadow fleet vessels 
        transporting sanctioned oil from the Russian Federation.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           December 17, 2025

  Mr. Graham (for himself and Mr. Blumenthal) submitted the following 
  resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
     Urging the Trump Administration to seize shadow fleet vessels 
        transporting sanctioned oil from the Russian Federation.

Whereas the Russian Federation is the world's third-largest oil producer, and 
        income from the sale of oil has generated revenue to allow the Russian 
        Federation to fund its war in Ukraine;
Whereas, despite Western sanctions, European Union sanctions, and price caps 
        imposed by the G7, seaborne crude and product exports from the Russian 
        Federation have averaged 5,700,000 barrels per day in 2025, a barely 
        marginal decrease from the 5,800,000 barrels per day in 2022 when the 
        Russian Federation began its illegal invasion of Ukraine;
Whereas, on October 22, 2025, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the 
        Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on the Russian Federation's 
        two largest oil companies, Open Joint Stock Company Rosneft Oil Company 
        (Rosneft) and Public Joint-Stock Company Oil Company Lukoil (Lukoil), 
        ``as a result of Russia's lack of serious commitment to a peace process 
        to end the war in Ukraine'';
Whereas the shadow fleet of the Russian Federation comprises at least 561 ships, 
        which have carried between 60 percent and 80 percent of Russian crude 
        exports in recent quarters;
Whereas, in recent years, the United States Government has seized several shadow 
        fleet vessels carrying sanctioned oil from other countries, including 
        from the Islamic Republic of Iran;
Whereas, on December 10, 2025, the United States Government seized the shadow 
        fleet vessel the M/T Skipper, which was previously subject to sanctions 
        for serving as part of ``an international oil smuggling network that 
        facilitated oil trades and generated revenue'' to support Hezbollah and 
        the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, for 
        transporting--

    (1) sanctioned oil from the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Syrian Arab 
Republic in 2024; and

    (2) nearly 2,000,000 barrels of crude oil from the Islamic Republic of 
Iran to the People's Republic of China between February and July of 2025; 
and

Whereas the United States Government, using all authorities, including those 
        inherent under article II of the Constitution of the United States, 
        should seize shadow fleet vessels carrying sanctioned oil from the 
        Russian Federation, whose proceeds in part will benefit designated 
        foreign terrorist organizations: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) condemns the use of shadow fleet vessels to transport 
        sanctioned oil from the Russian Federation and views the 
        transport of such oil as conduct that undermines United States 
        national security interests and sanctions regimes;
            (2) urges the Trump Administration to seize shadow fleet 
        vessels transporting sanctioned oil from the Russian 
        Federation;
            (3) recognizes that seizing shadow fleet vessels engaged in 
        such transport is a lawful and appropriate measure to take 
        against the Russian Federation's evasion of sanctions and 
        illicit financing of its war in Ukraine; and
            (4) calls on allies and partners to also seize shadow fleet 
        vessels transporting sanctioned oil from the Russian 
        Federation.
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