Senate Majority Leader Prepares Russia Sanction Bill

In Washington, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) is gearing up to endorse a bill that would impose sanctions on Russia if a ceasefire with Ukraine isn’t established by next weekend.

In an exclusive interview on Wednesday, Thune expressed optimism about the legislation proposed by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), which has garnered support from over 80 senators.

At 64, Thune acknowledged that the President might take “unilateral actions” regarding the sanctions, though both the House and Senate stand ready to act if needed and to consider enforcing more stringent penalties.

“He’s someone who is primarily focused on finding a peaceful resolution,” Thune commented about the President. “I think he genuinely believes that we need to play an active role in this, so we’re prepared to move forward whenever they’re ready for us to do so.”

Recently, Trump shortened the timeline for sanctions against Vladimir Putin from 50 days to just 10 days, amidst ongoing nighttime bombings in Ukraine that have caused significant casualties.

“To be honest, I’m somewhat disappointed with him,” Trump said about the situation during an interview with Miranda Devine on the “Pod Force One” podcast. “We had a productive chat, but then a few troubling developments occurred.”

As of Monday, Trump had not yet made a definitive decision about future actions. Despite additional sanctions on Russia and penalties on secondary buyers of Russian energy, there have been no reports of significant progress in resolving the lingering conflicts in Europe post-World War II.

While there have been numerous prisoner swaps, Ukraine and Russia have held at least three summits in Turkey over recent months.

During a press conference on Monday, Trump mentioned his diminishing interest in further discussions, stating this to reporters at Scotland’s Turnberry Club, particularly after meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Graham pointed out that sanctions would target those purchasing Russian oil, emphasizing that countries like China, India, and Brazil continue to buy around 80% of it, sustaining Putin’s military efforts.

The legislation from the South Carolina Republican aims to impose hefty tariffs—up to 500%—on various Russian exports, including oil, gas, and uranium.

Thune reiterated hope that President Trump would eventually signal for Congress to get behind the measures, which he believes could strengthen the President’s negotiating position. “For now, they seem to be content to take the lead and negotiate without feeling threatened,” he concluded.