Ukraine war: will Trump finally punish Russia’s Putin as senator pushes for sanctions bill?
Lindsey Graham’s ‘tough on Russia’ bill tests Trump’s stance and the measure could also rattle oil markets
US Senator Lindsey Graham’s vow to act on a bill imposing new sanctions on Russia is set to test whether President Donald Trump is finally ready to punish Vladimir Putin for delaying a ceasefire with Ukraine.
On a visit to Kyiv on Friday, Graham signalled he is tired of waiting for Trump to come around, saying he believes the Senate will “start moving” the sanctions bill next week. His proposal would ratchet up already smothering sanctions on Russia, including by slapping a 500 per cent tariff on imports from countries that buy Russian oil products and uranium.
“I think as the Senate begins to move you will hear more from President Trump,” said Graham, a South Carolina Republican. “I think he has reached the point now when he is looking for concrete action by Russia.”
At least 81 senators have signed on to the bipartisan bill, and Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, said he believed Trump’s views were “evolving”. Asked two days ago if Putin is interested in peace, Trump said “I’ll let you know in about two weeks.”
“We’re not waiting to find out what Putin will do, we’re moving ahead in the Congress,” Blumenthal told reporters in a public square in Kyiv alongside Graham.
The question remains – as it has for months – whether Trump is finally ready to take action. The president has gone back and forth on the idea of imposing sanctions, and the Graham bill would likely cause havoc in oil markets. It would almost certainly be an economic earthquake for nations including India, China and the European Union, all of which are engaged in separate trade negotiations with the US.