Senate Democrats slam Trump for failing to impose sanctions on Russia
Photo: US Senate Democrats address Donald Trump (Getty Images)
Democrats in the US Senate have criticized the outcomes of President Donald Trump’s summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Among their grievances is the lack of real steps to counter sanctions evasion that supports Russia's war machine, according to a joint statement by Democratic senators.
"The summit’s appeals for de-escalation do nothing to halt the flow of Chinese dual-use goods keeping Vladimir Putin’s war machine alive," the statement reads.
The senators emphasized that if Trump is serious about ending Putin's war, he should honor the memory of Lindsey Graham by responsibly implementing the law on sanctions against Russia and Iran.
According to the Democrats, the Trump administration must put an end to the "stunning" six-month inaction regarding the imposition of sanctions against the evasion of restrictions supporting Russia's war - including Chinese exports of dual-use goods to Moscow and purchases of Russian oil.
The Democrats noted that diplomacy with China remains important for preventing conflict and protecting American interests, but the results of the summit fell short of expectations.
In their view, instead of countering China's unfair trade practices, technology theft, and involvement in attacks on US military personnel, Trump chose pageantry over purpose - exchanging tough diplomacy for a gala tour and a lavish dinner with billionaire friends.
On September 16, the US House of Representatives already approved the bill by Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal, which envisages tough sanctions and tariffs against Russia and countries that help it evade restrictions or purchase its energy resources.
Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk welcomed the adoption of the document, emphasizing that pressure on the aggressor state is moving from words to concrete decisions. Furthermore, the document grants the US President the authority to impose secondary tariffs on the largest buyers of Russian oil.
And just the day before, new US sanctions against Russia had already angered China - Beijing expressed sharp criticism of this law.
