The Trump administration's Justice Department has shut down a program started during Biden's presidency that targeted the assets of Russian oligarchs as a way to penalise Russia for invading Ukraine.

This decision to end Task Force KleptoCapture is one of several actions taken by Attorney General Pam Bondi's Justice Department, signalling a shift in how the administration handles Russia and national security matters. Additionally, the department terminated the Foreign Influence Task Force, which was created under the first Trump administration to monitor influence activities by Russia and other countries that sought to disseminate misinformation, stir dissension, and undermine democracy. In the lead-up to the 2024 presidential election, the US government took decisive action to thwart Russian propaganda efforts, which experts have determined were biased in favour of Trump.

On Wednesday, the first day of Bondi's tenure, the Attorney General's office issued a memo to all employees. It stated that attorneys working on those initiatives should return to their previous roles. Additionally, the resources currently allocated to those efforts will now be focused on completely eliminating cartels and Transnational Criminal Organisations (TCOs).  The Trump administration is focused on preventing the illegal importation of fentanyl into the United States.

Every year, an estimated 70,000 overdose deaths are attributed to opioids. The Justice Department additionally revised its strategy on Wednesday regarding the enforcement of the Foreign Agents Registration Act, a law from World War II that mandates individuals to notify the government when they lobby in the US on behalf of foreign governments, including Russia, or political groups. Prosecutors were instructed by the policy change to direct criminal enforcement to target more conventional espionage activities instead of registration infractions.

Although the task force was disbanded, officials from the Trump administration, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, have urged a tougher approach toward Russia. During his confirmation hearing, Bessent argued that the Biden administration's sanctions on Russian oil were too weak and called for stronger measures. “I believe the previous administration was worried about raising US energy prices during an election season,” he said.

Trump has stated that he will expedite the end of the war in Ukraine and that negotiations are underway to execute this. “We made a lot of progress on Russia, Ukraine,” Trump said earlier this week. “We'll see what happens. We're going to stop that ridiculous war.”