WASHINGTON: US senators on Sunday touted a bipartisan bill that would arm President Donald Trump with “sledgehammer” sanctions to use against Russia, ahead of a visit by the US special envoy to Ukraine.
Trump has indicated he would be open to the sanctions bill as relations with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin grow increasingly frosty.
US special envoy Keith Kellogg is due to begin his latest visit to Ukraine while Trump said he would make a “major statement... on Russia” on Monday.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said he had majority backing in the Senate for his bill, which was gaining momentum as Washington-led peace efforts in Ukraine have struggled to make headway.
The bill would allow Trump “to go after Putin’s economy, and all those countries who prop up the Putin war machine,” Graham told broadcaster CBS news.
Trump, who has repeatedly said he is “disappointed” with Putin as Moscow unleashed deadly barrages of missiles against Kyiv, has hinted he might finally be ready to toughen sanctions.
Trump held off for the past six months while he tried to persuade Putin to end the war.
But the Republican president’s patience appears to be wearing thin, telling reporters during a cabinet meeting at the White House Tuesday that Putin was talking “a lot of bullshit” on Ukraine.
Last week, Trump also agreed to send Zelensky more weapons, including through a deal with NATO which would involve the alliance purchasing US weapons to send to Ukraine.
On Thursday, Trump appeared to back the bill without detailing whether he would use it to slap sanctions on Moscow.
“They’re going to pass a very major and very biting sanctions bill, but it’s up to the president as to whether or not he wants to exercise it,” Trump told broadcaster NBC.
Asked during a cabinet meeting about his interest in the bill, Trump said: “I’m looking at it very strongly.”
“This congressional package that we’re looking at would give President Trump the ability to impose 500 percent tariffs on any country that helps Russia,” said Graham, adding that those could include economies that purchase Russian goods like China, India or Brazil.
“This is truly a sledgehammer available to President Trump to end this war,” said Graham.
“Without a doubt, this is exactly the kind of leverage that can bring peace closer and make sure diplomacy is not empty,” the Ukrainian leader said about the proposed bill in an X post.
Graham and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal were to meet NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Monday night.
Blumenthal told CBS news they would also discuss the legally thorny issue of unlocking frozen Russian assets in Europe and the United States for access by Ukraine.
“The $5 billion that the United States has also could be accessed, and I think it’s time to do it,” said Blumenthal.
US senators aim to arm Trump with ‘sledgehammer’ sanctions against Russia
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US senators aim to arm Trump with ‘sledgehammer’ sanctions against Russia
- Bill to allow Trump “to go after Putin’s economy” and those propping up Putin’s war machine,” says Sen. Lindsey Graham
- Trump has indicated he would be open to the sanctions bill as relations with Putin grow increasingly frosty
Trump hopes North Carolina speech will bolster standing on US economy
- Trump works to turn around public opinion on economy
- Opinion polls show Americans have doubts
ROCKY MOUNT, North Carolina: US President Donald Trump traveled to the “battleground” state of North Carolina on Friday, seeking to convince Americans that his handling of the economy is sound ahead of a midterm election year that could spell trouble for him and his ruling Republicans.
With prices increasing and unemployment up, Trump has his work cut out for him. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Tuesday showed just 33 percent of US adults approve of how Trump has handled the economy.
Trump is set to argue that the US economy is poised for a surge due to his policies and that any problems they are experiencing are the fault of the Democrats.
He contends that he has lowered the price of gasoline, imposed tariffs that are generating billions of dollars for the US Treasury and attracted hundreds of billions of dollars in investment pledges by foreign governments.
Republicans worry, however, that economic woes could jeopardize their chances in elections next November that will decide whether they will keep control of the House of Representatives and the Senate for the remaining two years of Trump’s term.
The speech is taking place at a 9 p.m. rally (0200 GMT Saturday) at the convention center in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. The city is represented by a Democrat in the House, Don Davis, who faces a tough re-election fight in 2026 after the boundaries of his congressional district were redrawn.
North Carolina is considered a “battleground” state because its statewide elections are closely contested between Democrats and Republicans. But Trump won the state in 2016, 2020 and 2024.
The North Carolina event is a stop on the way to his oceanfront Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, where he plans to spend the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.
The US president has repeatedly said that any economic pain Americans are experiencing should be blamed on policies he inherited from his predecessor, Democratic President Joe Biden.
“Eleven months ago, I inherited a mess, and I’m fixing it,” Trump said in a grievance-filled speech on Wednesday night that he delivered in a jarringly rapid-fire pace. Democrats have argued that Trump himself has bungled the economy, the central issue he campaigned on last year.
rump got some early holiday cheer on Thursday from the Consumer Price Index report for November. It said housing costs rose by the smallest margin in four years.
Food costs rose by the least since February. Egg prices — a subject Trump raises regularly — fell for a second month, and by the most in 20 months. The report nonetheless showed that other prices, like beef and electricity, soared.
Overall, prices rose 2.7 percent over the year prior. Asked what his message will be in North Carolina, Trump said it would be similar to his last two events, a prime-time address on Wednesday night and a visit to Pennsylvania last week.
“We’ve had tremendous success. We inherited a mess, and part of what we inherited was the worst inflation in 48 years,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday. “And now we’re bringing those prices down. I’ll be talking about that.”
