Sanctions Bill to isolate Moscow has massive support from both Democrats and Republicans
Benedict Smith US Reporter
26 May 2025 1:37am BST
Donald Trump is under mounting pressure to approve a massive sanctions package on Moscow after Volodymyr Zelensky accused him of “silence” over Russian aggression.
The US Senate is planning to bring forward a Bill which would impose 500 per cent tariffs on Russia’s allies, with the aim of turning it into a “trade island” and hindering its continuing war in Ukraine.
The legislation has massive support from both Republicans and Democrats, and some members signalled they would seek to advance it to a vote without waiting for a green light from Mr Trump.
On Sunday, Mr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, claimed the US could end the war by putting sanctions on the “weak” Russian economy but instead chose to be silent as Moscow launched massive overnight bombing raids over the weekend.
Mr Trump dropped his demand for Russia to agree to a 30-day ceasefire with Ukraine ahead of peace talks following a two-hour phone call with Vladimir Putin on Wednesday.
While Mr Zelensky had urged the US president beforehand to threaten further sanctions on Russia, Mr Trump made no mention of this afterwards and signalled he was open to increasing trade with Moscow after the war.
However, Mr Trump on Sunday night said he was “not happy with Putin” following Russia’s weekend bombing of Ukraine and he would “absolutely” consider sanctions on Moscow.
Russia’s strikes on Ukraine at the weekend killed at least 12 people, including three children.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with him. What the hell happened to him? Right? He’s killing a lot of people. I’m not happy about that,” Mr Trump told reporters at the airport in Morristown, New Jersey, as he prepared to return to Washington.
On Wednesday, senators Lindsey Graham, a Republican and long-time ally of Mr Trump, and Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat, introduced legislation to impose crippling sanctions on Russian allies.
Its main provision is to impose a 500 per cent tariff on any country that buys Russian oil, gas, uranium and other products, to stop China and others “propping up Putin’s war machine”.
The Bill has substantial backing from both sides of the aisle, with 81 co-sponsors, although any attempt to force Mr Trump’s hand is likely to go down badly in the White House.
Mr Trump has warned sanctioning Russia could cause Putin to walk away from peace talks, and earlier this year he exempted Moscow from wide-ranging tariffs aimed at virtually every US trading partner – including Ukraine.
However, some Republican senators indicated they were sceptical of Mr Trump’s negotiations with the Russian leader and signalled they would move without waiting for his blessing.
“I’m not waiting for anything. I think we should bring it to the floor and put the hurt on Putin,” Todd Young, the Republican senior senator for Indiana, said.
“I’ve waited long enough. And it’s pretty clear to me that Putin has been jerking us around for months, and I don’t think the United States of America should tolerate that.”
Mike Rounds, a Republican representing South Dakota, estimated as many as 70 senators would support the Bill even without the backing of Mr Trump.
At the earliest, it could be brought to a vote in early June, because Congress is in recess next week.
Although the Senate could theoretically overcome an attempt by the president to veto the Bill with 66 votes, it would also need to pass through the House of Representatives, which has been less sympathetic to Ukraine and where Mr Trump wields more sway.
On Sunday, Jim Himes, the most senior Democrat on the House intelligence committee, urged the president to exert “maximum leverage” on Putin to “keep the Russians from invading countries in the future”.
Mr Graham, a frequent golf partner of Mr Trump’s, is reportedly leading Senate attempts to convince the president of the need for sanctions.
The South Carolina senator said of Moscow’s strikes of Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities over the weekend: “This latest outrage by Russia will not go unaddressed.
“Without China’s support, Putin’s war machine comes to a halt.”
Meanwhile, in a message on social media after Russia’s attacks, Mr Zelensky accused the US of emboldening Putin by failing to impose “truly strong pressure” to put an end to Russia’s “brutality”.
“This cannot be ignored. Silence of America, silence of others around the world only encourages Putin,” he said.
“Without truly strong pressure on the Russian leadership, this brutality cannot be stopped. Sanctions will certainly help… The world knows all the weaknesses of the Russian economy. The war can be stopped, but only through the necessary pressure on Russia.”
On Monday, Mr Zelensky said European leaders were drawing together a “strong” sanctions package to target Russia’s banking and energy sectors.
Comment from :
Don Aaron
Sorry, but everyone has conveniently forgot that Trump is Putin’s Glove Puppet; and who knows where Putin’s other hand is.
Trevor Smallwood
Reply to Don Aaron
It’s true Vlad seems to be able to talk Trump down but that phenomena has its limits. Public polls continue to show above 50% support for Ukraine and some are showing above 60%. Trump has had a shot at peace negotiations and they have failed.
Interestingly the senate is in recess this week which gives the sanction proponents a clear week to lobby the president and inform the public. I hope this campaign succeeds.
Trevor Smallwood
I expect China and India could disentangle themselves from Russian oil sales quickly enough. Vlad would scream like a stuck pig but China may just keep supplying dual use electronics etc. They are harder to detect.
The question is will the threat of these sanctions or their initial implementation induce clarity in the Kremlin or will they have to be enforced?
Max Wallgren
EU Phasing Out Russian Gas and Oil imports:
Gas:
– End of 2025: Ban on new contracts and existing spot contracts (short-term, immediate purchases) for Russian gas and LNG .
– End of 2027: Full ban on all remaining imports, including long-term contracts (e.g., TotalEnergies and Spain’s Naturgy have deals extending into the 2030s) .
Oil:
-2022 Sanctions: The EU banned 90% of Russian oil imports, with exemptions for Hungary and Slovakia, which still rely on Russian pipeline oil (~80% of their supply) .
– 2025 Measures: The 17th sanctions package (May 2025) targets Russia’s “shadow fleet” of oil tankers (189 vessels added, totaling 342) and sanctions Surgutneftegaz, a major oil producer .
– End of 2027 : Hungary and Slovakia must submit plans to phase out Russian oil entirely .
– Progress: EU oil imports from Russia dropped from 27% pre-war to 3% in 2025 .
Andrew Clarke
Sanctions, hahahaha, they work, don’t they? All that will happen is Russia sells its exports to a third party, India in the case of oil, and India sells its exports to on at a premium, the buyer knowing full well its come from Russia, but they haven’t broken any sanctions. No one goes after India, especially the Americans, because they don’t want India and China to get too close to each other. The western politicians love sanctions, sounds good, look we are doing something, but ultimately they are a waste of time.
Deglet Noor
Trump is a traitor.
It’s up to everyone else to bypass him and his support for his friend Putin.
Shame on anyone supporting this Putin ally.
One day we will find out the reason for trump’s subservience but for now he just has to be stopped. Hopefully there are enough members of congress who will put the country first.
Mark Daugherty
It seems Europeans are confusing the war in Ukraine with a soccer match. Russia has 15,000 thermonuclear devices. They are a dying people who have the power to render the human race extinct in thirty minutes. Do you really think they won’t use those terrible weapons if backed into the kind of corner this bill would create? If the world stops all trade with Russia they implode as a country. Do you really think they won’t reach out and pull down Europe with them as they go?
Twice now you dead beats in Europe have sucked the USA into your wars. Enough already. If you want Russia stopped all you have to do is stop buying their energy. If you want them stopped, build out your military, and you confront them. Stop with the whining and the whinging about the Americans.
Two world wars, and a cold war, are more than enough, thank you!
Graham Boyd
Reply to Mark Daugherty
It’s the US Senate proposing this.
You’re not scared of Russia are you?
Patrick Schrabauer
Reply to Mark Daugherty
That’s why defunding Russia’s war economy is a direct path to peace.
Russia’s concept of peace is paraded each year in its Victory Day celebrations, a glorification of past war, signaling its desire to relive struggle in pursuit of relevance.
True peace stands in direct opposition to this cycle of militarized nostalgia. Peace is the absence of war and suffering. It begins not with tanks and parades, but with dismantling the machinery that sustains war.
Anna Breen
Reply to Mark Daugherty
6000, not 15000.
Deglet Noor
Reply to Mark Daugherty
They are not backed into a corner though. All they have to do is agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine in the first instance. All of this is of their own making.
Basil Fawlty
I think it is time to test Putin, his rhetoric of bullying and threatening nuclear war is his last ditch attempt at frightening the west. I hope the US Senate will bring to bear the full force of sanctions on Russia’s trading partners. Putin needs to be stopped.
Neville White
Glad that the Senators are interested in pressuring Putin into peace, even if Trump isn’t interested in the proposed Bill.
Putin only responds to pressure.
Putin knows that Trump is a push-over (per the last few months).
This Bill shows that there are sane people still in the US.
J Finnemore
Mr. Trump’s policy towards Ukraine hasn’t delivered peace, either within 24 hours as he claimed on campaign, or in the 3000 hours that he has now had in office.
Imposing secondary sanctions on those trading with Russia will be costly but there needs to be serious pressure applied to Moscow to stop the war.
Increasing the financial cost of the special military operation should be a priority for all those seeking to promote peace and democracy.
“However, some Republican senators indicated they were sceptical of Mr Trump’s negotiations with the Russian leader and signalled they would move without waiting for his blessing.”
Until the sanctions are passed, there is no need for jubilation.