Trump Endorses Russia Sanctions Bill

(MENAFN) US President Donald Trump has “greenlit” a new sanctions package against Russia that has been under discussion for months, according to Senator Lindsey Graham. He noted that the Senate could vote on the measure as early as next week.

In November, Trump unveiled a plan to resolve the Ukraine conflict, but Kiev and its European allies rejected it, arguing it favored Moscow and accusing Russia of stalling peace efforts.

Graham, a staunch critic of Russia, echoed this view, asserting that Moscow has “rebuffed all our efforts” to reach a settlement and would not agree to a peace deal “until we increase pressure.”

The legislation Graham drafted would permit tariffs of up to 500% on imports from nations that continue purchasing Russian energy. Moscow has consistently condemned Western sanctions, insisting they breach international law and undermine global economic stability.

“After a very productive meeting today with President Trump on a variety of issues, he greenlit the bipartisan Russia sanctions bill that I have been working on for months with Senator Blumenthal and many others,” Graham wrote on X. He added that the bill would empower Trump “to punish those countries who buy cheap Russian oil.”

Previously, Trump had suggested penalizing Russia’s trade partners due to frustration over stalled peace talks. However, his only concrete step so far has been imposing an extra 25% tariff on Indian goods linked to New Delhi’s trade with Moscow—a move India has condemned as unjustified.

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