The senators are growing calling a severe bill of sanctions of Russia to move forward, and Republican senator Lindsey Graham affirms, after talking with conversations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, that the Chamber will advance with legislation this week that would impose strict tariffs to Moscow.
Graham made a trip to kyiv over the weekend with Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, who co -crocked the measure of sanctions of the Senate that would slapped 500% of tariffs on any country that bought the energy products of Moscow.
“I would expect the next week that the Senate begins to move the draft sanctions law,” Graham said during a press conference in Ukraine on Friday. “There are members of the House of Representatives who are ready to move to the Chamber and see the action of Congress.”
President Donald Trump still has to support the sanctions bill. Martha Raddatz, the main correspondent of ABC News, asked Zelenskyy if he was satisfied with the participation of the administration in the conflict, and the Ukrainian leader requested Trump’s support to the sanctions and a high fire.
“We are looking for strong steps by President Trump to support the sanctions and force President Putin to stop this war, or at least proceed with the first stage of ending this war, that is the stop the fire,” Zelenskyy said.
The visit of Graham and Blumenthal occurred just before Ukrainian officials said Sunday that the drones of their country hit and damaged more than 40 combat planes in attacks in four military airports within Russia.
Graham, a Putin critic, applauded the war tactics of Ukraine drones and urged the action against Russia in a Publish in x After the reports.
“Russia kills men, women and children indiscriminate.
Senator Lindsey Graham and Senator Richard Blucenthal speak during a press conference in kyiv, Ukraine, May 30, 2025.
Vasilisa Stepanenko/AP
Blumenthal too responded in xurging an offensive against Russia through sanctions.
“When I visited President Zelenskyy And his team only a few days ago with @lindseygrahamsc these extraordinary courage qualities And the capacity was clearly evident. The Russians have disseminated the wrong information that they are winning. It is time to approve our draft sanctions. “
Graham He wrote a letter last week at the Wall Street JournalSaying that the Senate was “prepared” to impose sanctions proposed to Russia, depending on how the country responded to Trump’s recent application that Putin “provides a term sheet that describes the requirements” for a high fire.
The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Senator Lindsey Graham gave their hands during their meeting in kyiv, in the middle of the Russian invasion in Ukraine, on May 30, 2025.
Ukrainian presidential press service through AFP/Getty images
“Depending on how Russia responds, we will know what course to take,” Graham wrote in the letter.
Graham said he has coordinated with the White House in the draft Sanctions Law of Russia, the “Sanction of the Russian Law of 2025” -That has about 80 copatrochinters and bipartisan support.
“The bill would put Russia on a commercial island,” said Graham. “The consequences of their barbaric invasion must be real for those who support it. If China or India stop buying cheap oil, Mr. Putin’s war machine would stop.”
Graham also highlighted the recent comments of the majority leader John Thune who also suggests that the upper chamber would act against Russia if “Putin continues to play.”
“As Thune said last week, if Mr. Putin continues to play, the Senate will act. I hope the best, but when it comes to the bully in Moscow, we should all prepare for more of the same thing,” Graham wrote.
Thune, speaking with journalists in the Capitol on Monday, said that there is a “high level” of interest in the bill, and that the Senate could work on it before the end of the month.
“We are in conversations with the White House, obviously, on that subject and that problem … there is a high level of interest here in the Senate, on both sides of the corridor and advancing on it, and it is very good it could be something we would assume in this period of work,” said Thune. “Obviously we are working with the White House to try to ensure that what we do and when we do it well with the negotiations that have been launched.”
Other Republican senators are also offended when it comes to sanctions to Moscow.
Republican senator Chuck Grassley asked sanctions In an X post last week – advocating that they are strong enough for Putin to know “the finished game.”
In May, most Senate Whip John Barasso spoke on the Senate floorasking for the end of the Russian war in Ukraine and threatening Russia with sanctions through the Senate bill.
“Russia faces a marked election: peace or paralyzing sanctions. President Trump has spoken with a force of rapid and serious consequences if Russia does not honor the fire. A bipartisan group of senators agrees,” said Barasso.
“Energy is the cash cow of the Putin War Machine. Cut it, and Russia cannot continue fighting. The biggest client in Russia is communist China. The next is India. They will be beaten strongly,” Barasso continued.
Democratic senator John Fetterman asked Russia for a discussion in Boston on Monday with Republican senator Dave McCormick.
“Russia continues to kill innocent civilians in Ukraine and here we are, and we have to punish them and hold Russia,” said Fetterman.
McCormick said he would support the sanctions package because he continues to press Putin to participate in negotiations on the end of the conflict.
“The only way to maintain the pressure is that things happen as what happened today with Ukraine that has a very successful military capacity and operation, but in addition to that, the types of sanctions that are proposed in this legislation, and that is intended to help President Trump comply with the vision and agreement he has spoken,” McCormick said.
