US prepares major sanctions hit on Kremlin - Details emerging
Photo: Senators Richard Blumenthal and Lindsey Graham (Vitalii Nosach/RBC-Ukraine)
American senators have called for tough sanctions against Russia, including a 500% tariff on goods from countries that purchase Russian oil and gas, according to The Washington Times.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal have introduced a bill imposing sanctions on Russia for its refusal to pursue a long-term peace agreement with Ukraine.
Among the 50 co-authors of the bill in the Senate, there is an equal number of Republicans and Democrats, demonstrating broad bipartisan support for the initiative.
“The dominating view in the United States Senate is that Russia is the aggressor, and that this horrific war and Putin’s aggression must end now and be deterred in the future,” the senators said in a joint statement.
The bill includes both primary and secondary sanctions against Russia and individuals supporting the Kremlin’s aggression against Ukraine. The sanctions would be implemented if peace talks fail or if an agreement is reached but violated by Russia.
Specifically, the law could impose a 500% tariff on goods imported from countries that purchase Russian oil, gas, uranium, and other products.
This could provide certain guarantees for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has stated that he wants protection from a new Russian military invasion to be enshrined in an agreement.
The senators expressed hope that in 2025, President Trump and his team " will achieve what has eluded the world in the past: ending Russian aggression against Ukraine permanently and ensuring the survivability of a free and democratic Ukraine."
“These sanctions against Russia are at the ready and will receive overwhelming bipartisan, bicameral support if presented to the Senate and House for a vote,” the authors of the document noted.
Trump's peace efforts
The administration of US President Donald Trump is attempting to get Ukraine and Russia to the negotiating table and conclude a peace agreement to end the war.
However, the Kremlin rejected Washington’s recent proposals for a 30-day ceasefire, which Kyiv had agreed to. Moscow began presenting its scenarios for ending the war, which are unacceptable to Ukraine and are effectively capitulation.
Recently, Trump expressed anger over Russia's delay in negotiations and did not rule out imposing additional tariffs of 25-50% on buyers of Russian oil.
Lately, US officials have become increasingly frustrated with Moscow and are developing new methods of sanctioning pressure on the Kremlin.
Earlier, Finnish President Alexander Stubb confirmed that Trump’s patience with Russia is running out. New sanctions against Russia will be introduced by the US soon.
