Trump Quietly Lifts Sanctions on Russian Banks to Help Putin’s Nuclear Deals

Trump has a pattern. Undermine global unity. Cozy up to strongmen. And make sure the American people are too distracted, too confused, or too overwhelmed to fight back.

I want you to know what just happened, because almost no one’s talking about it. The headlines are all about Trump’s budget bill, the immigration raids, or whether American airstrikes actually crippled Iran’s nuclear sites. All of that matters, no question.

But something else just happened, quietly, under the radar. And it deserves your full attention. On June 27, the U.S. Treasury issued General License 115B. It looks like a routine change to sanctions policy. It’s not. It’s a massive handout to Putin, a blow to our credibility, and another red flag waving under Trump’s 2025 presidency, one that puts our national security and our role in the world in serious danger.

Under this new license, the U.S. is allowing transactions with major Russian banks, yes, the same ones that prop up Putin’s regime, when the money is tied to civil nuclear energy projects that started before November 2024. Gazprombank, Sberbank, VTB, and even Russia’s central bank now get a carve-out from sanctions, as long as the purpose looks peaceful on paper.

I believe this is more than a technical allowance. It’s a signal. A signal to our allies that American leadership is fractured. A signal to our adversaries that economic pressure can be bought off with the right framing. And a signal to Putin that despite everything, the war crimes, the political assassinations, the illegal invasions, we’re still willing to do business with him.

Let’s be clear. This doesn’t just impact Russian banks. It helps projects like Hungary’s €12 billion Paks-2 nuclear power plant, built in partnership with Russia’s Rosatom. Geopolitical influence, paid for and stamped with American permission.

Now I understand why some people might defend this decision. Civil nuclear power can help reduce emissions. It supports energy stability for U.S. allies. It keeps countries like Hungary from turning to even more authoritarian partners like China. But those arguments ignore the real cost.

Here’s what I, and many others see.

This decision gives Russian state banks breathing room, banks that are weapons of the Kremlin. They fund operations that destabilize democracies. They bankroll propaganda and surveillance and political meddling. Letting them back into legitimate global financial transactions, even in limited form, isn’t smart diplomacy. It’s surrender.

Rosatom, the Russian company at the center of many of these nuclear deals, is a tech firm but it’s also a political tool. It expands Russian presence in strategic regions. It gives Putin leverage in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. When America opens the door for Rosatom to keep moving forward, we’re handing our geopolitical leverage back to a dictator who thrives on division and chaos.

And that’s the deeper issue here. Every time Trump finds a way to walk back sanctions or soften restrictions on Russia, he’s weakening the pressure that took years to build. He’s rewarding aggression. He’s making it harder for democratic countries to stand together. He’s breaking the trust of allies who have stood with us for decades.

This is both bad policy and dangerous leadership.

I’m not surprised. This is the same Trump who called Putin smart while Ukraine burned. The same Trump who tried to pull us out of NATO. The same Trump who thinks “America First” means “America Alone.”

He has a pattern. Undermine global unity. Cozy up to strongmen. And make sure the American people are too distracted, too confused, or too overwhelmed to fight back.

I believe decisions like this one will come back to haunt us. They give our adversaries room to grow. They sow distrust among our allies. And they set a precedent that the rules we claim to care about, human rights, democracy, accountability, are negotiable when there’s money or influence involved.

And let’s not forget the timing. When Trump greenlit General License 115B less than six months into his second presidency, it was a deliberate signal to the world, and to his base, about how he plans to handle Russia going forward.

I’m worried. I’m worried about what we’re normalizing. I’m worried that my fellow Americans don’t see how dangerous this drift is. And I’m worried that if we don’t start speaking out, louder and faster, we’re going to wake up in a country that no longer leads, no longer inspires, and no longer protects the values we claim to stand for.

The Treasury Department should be protecting American credibility, not giving special passes to Putin’s financial backers.

The President should be defending democracy, not making side deals with autocrats.

And we, the people, should be paying attention, because every move like this chips away at something bigger than a license or a loan or a single plant in Hungary.

It chips away at who we are.

It chips away at our strength.

And it chips away at the future we’re supposed to be building for our kids and grandkids.

If we let this go unchallenged, what else are we willing to look away from?

I believe the answer to that question will define the next decade and frankly, many generations to come.

Let’s make sure we’re not sleepwalking into another disaster. Let’s hold this administration accountable. Let’s remind the world that American values aren’t for sale, not to Russia, not to anyone.

And let’s not forget who made this decision.

Donald Trump handed Putin another win.

It’s up to us to stop the next one.

Mitch Jackson, Esq. | links

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