US President Donald Trump is still considering whether to support a new bill officially prepared by Congress to drastically tighten sanctions against Russia.
White House officials confirmed that the administration intends in principle to stand behind the package of measures, but the head of state himself demonstrated some caution in his public statements on Monday evening. The legislation, which has become known as the legacy of the recently deceased Senator Lindsey Graham, aims to cut off economic flows to the Kremlin through unprecedented tariffs and measures against buyers of Russian energy resources.
“We are talking about it. We will make a decision on the matter very soon“, Donald Trump told reporters, responding when asked directly whether he was ready to sign the final document, Bloomberg and CNN reported.
Signals from the White House and Lindsey Graham's Testament
The conflicting signals from Washington come just days after the sudden death of iconic Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who died on Saturday at the age of 71. Just a day before his death, Graham was on his tenth official visit to Kiev, where he announced to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that the White House and a bipartisan group in the Senate had finally reached a compromise on the texts of the new law.
According to sources in the Trump administration, quoted anonymously by American media, the president plans to support the sanctions package in memory of his longtime ally and in order to increase pressure on Vladimir Putin to start real peace negotiations. However, Trump's official signature remains the key element, which congressmen from both parties are waiting for before moving the law to a vote in the plenary hall.
What does the new sanctions bill provide?
The project, developed for almost two years by Lindsey Graham and Democrat Richard Blumenthal, provides for extremely severe economic restrictions:
- 500% Tariffs on Energy Resources: Imposing Punitive Tariffs on Countries That Continue to Buy Russian Oil, Uranium, and Natural Gas.
- A crackdown on the “shadow fleet“: Strict measures and sanctions against international tankers and foreign-flagged merchant vessels that help Moscow circumvent previous restrictions.
- Secondary sanctions: Sanctioning foreign individuals and companies providing logistical or financial support to the Russian military-industrial complex.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune emphasized that the passage of this bill would be the most worthy monument to the legacy of Graham, who until his last breath took the cause of Ukraine's security as his personal priority.
The geopolitical context and resistance in Congress
However, the bill's rapid progress faces challenges on Capitol Hill. Some Republicans, including Senator Rand Paul, have already expressed strong concerns that imposing such drastic tariffs on buyers of Russian oil (such as India and China) could cause serious disruptions in world trade and the global economy.
In addition, the White House traditionally fears that overly tough legislation could limit the diplomatic flexibility of President Trump, who is currently trying to restart international pressure on the Kremlin and at the same time impose new restrictions on other geopolitical directions, including in the Middle East.
Donald Trump's final decision is expected to be announced within days, which will determine whether the United States will launch its largest economic offensive against Russia since the beginning of the conflict.