Vladislav Grigoriev14:36, 28.07.25

However, there are many people among Republicans who want to punish Putin.

Fifteen US senators from the Democratic and Republican parties have refused to support  the bill on sanctions against Russia. Many of them said they are waiting for President Donald Trump to give the “green light”, Semafor writes .

Why the Senate did not support the bill on sanctions against Russia

It is noted that this is a clear sign of Trump’s control over the Republicans in the Senate. In this regard, there is only a minimal chance that the senators will get ahead of the US President in the matter of imposing sanctions against Russia.

“When President Trump wants me to sign it, I will sign it. I want to give the president the flexibility he needs to do what he needs to do,” Sen. Jim Banks of Indiana told reporters.

The publication clarified that the bill was not supported by 11 Republicans and four Democrats. This group included former Trump administration ambassador Bill Hagerty, self-proclaimed non-interventionist Rand Paul and one of the leading Democratic voices on foreign policy, Chris Murphy.

“I’m following President Trump in what he wants to do,” said Sen. Ron Johnson, a Wisconsin Republican who also did not support the bill, in explaining his decision.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters that senators will support the bill on sanctions against Russia as soon as the White House does the same. He assured that Republicans will support the opinion of Trump and his administration on this issue.

The publication added that some Republicans want to punish Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. However, Trump will not let them do this without his approval.

Moreover, the White House is currently working to soften the language of the sanctions bill against Russia, which in its current form provides for the introduction of 500 percent tariffs on countries importing Russian energy resources. The publication explained that the idea is to force Putin to sit down at the negotiating table for a ceasefire.

The publication noted that Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal want to introduce exceptions for countries that help Ukraine. The possibility of introducing some flexible conditions that will allow Trump to quickly increase or decrease duties is also being considered.

Journalists recalled that Graham said that the US president supported his bill. However, Trump recently proposed to act unilaterally.

“President Trump proposed something different than what was in the bill, so I prefer to give him the leeway to decide what to do. I support the idea of ‘undermining’ Putin. But I also don’t want to stop the president from doing what he thinks is right,” said Sen. Bernie Moreno of Ohio.

The publication emphasized that without unanimous support, the Senate cannot advance the bill without wasting precious time. Trump’s 50-day deadline for Russia delays consideration of the bill until September, when it could be further delayed due to the approaching government funding deadline.

Journalists noted that Democrats are generally more vocal in support of Ukraine and against Russia. However, four senators from this party still spoke out against the bill.Read also:

Democrats who did not support the sanctions bill against Russia explained that they did not want it to be seen as a substitute for more significant military aid to Ukraine.

Not everyone is ready to support the bill

Non-interventionist Rand Paul is one of the bill’s most vocal critics, telling reporters he would not support it even if Trump ultimately voted in its favor.

“It would be devastating to global trade and probably the most damaging piece of legislation ever passed for our economy. So I hope it doesn’t pass,” he explained.

Paul added that he also opposes Trump’s alternative proposal to impose 100 percent tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil.

US Congress makes statement on sanctions against Russia

Earlier, US House Speaker Mike Johnson said that Congress would not consider bills on new sanctions against Russia until the 50-day ultimatum that US President Donald Trump gave to Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin expires. According to him, the head of the White House and his administration should be allowed to do what they are going to do.

Reuters noted that some members of Congress continue to insist on tougher sanctions against Russia. In particular, they support the introduction of 500 percent duties on goods from countries that buy Russian oil.

(C)UNIAN 2025