An effort to advance a blistering sanctions package against Russia and its trade partners is again gaining steam in the Senate, and this time it appears that President Donald Trump is on board.
A sanctions bill advanced by Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., was largely sidelined as the Senate sprinted to hit its July 4 deadline to pass Trump’s "big, beautiful bill," but has come roaring back into the limelight now that the grueling reconciliation process has been put to bed.
The duo’s bill would slap up to 500% tariffs on countries buying energy products from Moscow, effectively placing Russia’s war machine in a chokehold by imposing duties on oil, gas, uranium and other exports, largely purchased by China and India, which account for nearly three-quarters of Moscow’s energy business.
But the bill hit a snag at the White House, where Trump maintained that he wanted to continue peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, and also wanted more flexibility on the proposed penalties in the bill.