**US Congress Ready to Move Forward on Russia Sanctions Bill, But Trump Wants Changes**
The Republican leaders in the US Senate and House of Representatives are gearing up to push through a bill that would impose harsher sanctions on Russia and buyers of Russian fossil fuels. According to a statement made by House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune on July 9, the bipartisan legislation is ready for a vote.
**Harsher Sanctions Proposed**
The bill, introduced by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal on April 1, aims to impose a 500% tariff on imports from countries that continue purchasing Russian oil and raw materials. This move comes as US President Donald Trump has expressed his dissatisfaction with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s stance on negotiations.
**Trump’s Stance**
In comments made to reporters on July 9, Johnson stated that he believes the legislation is necessary to send a message to Putin. Trump himself has said he was “very strongly” considering supporting the bill due to his unhappiness with Putin. However, despite this apparent support, Trump has reportedly been pushing to delay a vote and water down the legislation.
**White House Pushback**
A senior administration official told Politico that Trump will only support the bill if it preserves the president’s ultimate authority over US foreign policy. The official stated that the current version of the bill would subject the president’s decisions to micromanagement by Congress, which is unacceptable.
**Investigation Looming**
Trump’s previous reluctance to impose new sanctions on Russia has sparked an investigation by Senate Democrats. Despite multiple threats to slap additional sanctions on Moscow, Trump has passed no new penalties since taking office in January, and in some cases has even eased restrictions.
Read More @ kyivindependent.com
