Russia Sanctions Package Gains Traction
The effort to introduce sanctions against Russia has experienced ups and downs for several months. There’s been a lot of speculation about whether the proposed bill would actually see a vote.
Supportive signals and proposals from President Trump have often propelled the legislation forward, particularly from Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal. However, just as frequently, these efforts have been stalled, leaving nobody quite sure when, or if, the bills would eventually find their way to the President’s desk.
Amid ongoing but low-profile peace discussions between Russia and Ukraine, President Trump seems to have now given Graham the go-ahead for a long-discussed sanctions package.
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Graham expressed optimism in a conversation with Fox News Digital, suggesting he believes this time around, the bill has a real chance of passage. “It won’t collect dust because President Trump views this as essential,” Graham noted, saying he believes the President needs it.
Yet, despite Graham’s announcement of Trump’s support, the bill has not yet made it to the Senate floor. This week, lawmakers are out of session and expected back in D.C. next week, with a primary focus on averting a partial government shutdown.
Graham and Blumenthal have continued to work on amendments over recent months. Their key objective appears to be to impose significant tariffs on countries purchasing energy products from Russia.
The intention here is to severely weaken Russia’s military capabilities by targeting exports like oil and gas, especially from China and India, which together represent nearly three-quarters of Russia’s energy sales.
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Meanwhile, the topic of sanctionshas been set aside as the Trump administration attempts to facilitate peace between Russia and Ukraine. The latest proposal suggests Ukraine might have to give up some territory to Russia — something that, understandably, isn’t sitting well with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
In a recent interview, Trump indicated that Zelensky is the roadblock in the negotiations, claiming that Putin is “ready to make a deal,” while Ukraine isn’t at that stage yet.
Even though the sanctions package hasn’t been officially pushed forward in the Senate, a White House source confirmed Trump’s backing.
However, a potential snag in the process is the debate over where the bill should originate in Congress.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune emphasized his viewpoint that even if Russia sanctions have languished in the Senate, they should actually start in the House due to budgetary considerations.
This would mean needing House Speaker Mike Johnson’s agreement to either adapt Graham and Blumenthal’s proposal or come up with a new one, and then it would need to be brought to the floor, which could slow things down.
On whether Johnson would agree to bring the proposal to the House, Thune replied, “He didn’t confirm that.”
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Thune speculated that if the White House sees this issue as a priority, especially in relation to Russia and Ukraine, they will likely push to advance it.
There’s a bit of a disconnect here, it seems. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has voiced support for sanctions but consistently asserts that the legislation should be introduced in the Senate. He argues that beginning in the House could result in significant delays.
Graham mentioned that he feels an unprecedented sense of urgency about this issue, and he communicated to Thune that he wants the bill to start in the Senate, where it boasts over 80 co-sponsors.
“The idea is to gather a strong bipartisan vote and persuade President Trump to deploy Congress’s tools to end this violence,” Graham articulated. He went on to mention that in a typical context, that approach would make sense, and he’s felt a shift in momentum toward the Senate. “It’s not complicated to push this forward,” he added, reflecting on his efforts over time.
Blumenthal also shared that he has been in talks with House colleagues, insisting there’s no reason the package should stall in the House.
Both he and Graham believe that their sanctions initiative could offer Trump an additional leverage point to compel Putin toward negotiations. Blumenthal noted, “The key here is security, but leveraging economic pressure will also be necessary for lasting peace,” adding that he finds reasons for encouragement in the current direction of events.
