Sanctions against Russia: US Senate awaiting Trump’s approval, - The Hill
US senators are seeking to pass a bipartisan package of sanctions against Russia amid escalating hostilities. But they are waiting for the "green light" from President Donald Trump.
According to Censor.NET, The Hill reports.
Efforts to push through a large-scale package of anti-Russian sanctions are entering their final stages. Trump and his allies are speaking increasingly harshly about Russian President Vladimir Putin, as he shows no intention of stopping the war against Ukraine. Some of Trump's closest allies, such as Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, are actively calling for tougher action against Putin.
We don't want to be ahead of the White House
However, although Trump has recently become more vocal in his criticism of Putin for his unwillingness to move towards a peaceful settlement, he has not yet supported the sanctions package, which already has more than 80 co-sponsors in the upper house, effectively leaving the document in a "frozen" state.
"We’re working with the White House. … We are prepared to move forward as soon as they feel like the timing is right. They’re leading. We don’t want to get in front of the White House," said Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin, who, along with Graham, has had ongoing talks with Trump about the sanctions bill.
According to him, the senators do not want to interfere in the negotiations, although they are ready to do so if necessary to draw attention to this perspective.
"We’re 100 percent willing and able to move forward with it. It doesn’t do us any good if we pass it in the House, pass it in the Senate and then the president is like, ‘Hold on a second guys.’ It puts him in a bad position [and it] puts us in a bad position," Mullin continued.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters that the bill could hit the floor during the current four-week work period.
"[The White House is] still hopeful they’ll be able to strike some sort of a deal, but … there’s a high level of interest here in the Senate on both sides of the aisle in moving on it. I think a genuine interest in doing something to make clear to Russia that they need to come to the table … I think that would have a big impact," he said.
The proposed draft law provides for some of the harshest sanctions, including a 500% duty on countries that buy oil, gas, uranium and other goods from Russia.
Graham, one of the main sponsors of the initiative, called it "the most draconian bill I’ve ever seen in my life in the Senate." He also told The Associated Press that he crafted it in coordination with Trump’s advisers and last week said he expected the Senate to start moving the bill this week.
Nevertheless, Trump remains uncertain, although he has recently intensified his criticism of Putin.
"I don’t know. I’ll have to see it," he said on Friday when asked about the draft law.
The push comes on the heels of Graham's recent trip to Kyiv, where he and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. They then travelled to Paris, where Graham held talks with French President Emmanuel Macron on the current situation at the frontline.
According to the senator, Putin "is not taking any steps to end the war, except for attempts to defeat the Ukrainians".
"We saw credible evidence of a summer or early fall invasion, a new offensive by Putin. He’s preparing for more war," Graham told The Associated Press.
Russian, Ukrainian and American representatives convened in Istanbul on Monday for a second round of peace talks, where the two warring sides agreed to exchange thousands of dead and seriously wounded soldiers. However, there were no signs of any real progress in ending the war, which is now in its fourth year.
While Republicans are waiting for the president's position, Democrats are already losing patience.
"The single best thing President Trump can do to strengthen Ukraine’s hand right now is to show that the U.S. stands firmly behind them and squarely against Russia. But so far, Trump has not done that," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Monday.
"Where is Donald Trump’s backbone? Where is his conviction? Where’s that toughness he likes to project? Frankly, senators from both sides of the aisle are getting tired of Donald Trump’s wishy-washy approach to Putin. If Donald Trump won’t stand up to him, the Senate must," Schumer said.
Schumer also called the proposed sanctions package a "hammer blow" to Moscow.
"It’s very much needed, and it’s needed now," he added.
