According to the WSJ, the Trump administration might weaken the new legislation.
Citing sources, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Friday that US President Donald Trump’s administration is attempting to soften a Senate bill designed to impose strict new sanctions on Russia. The proposed bill would impose a significant 500% tariff on imports from any nation that continues to purchase key commodities like oil, gas, and uranium from Moscow.
Senators Lindsey Graham, a Republican, and Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat, introduced the bipartisan sanctions bill in early April. In addition to the tariffs, the bill includes secondary sanctions targeting nations that maintain commercial ties with Russia. Graham has called the bill “one of the most draconian sanctions bills ever written” and described the restrictions as “bone-crushing.”
The WSJ reports that Trump is concerned the bill could undermine his efforts to improve US-Russia relations, which he hopes to combine with resolving the conflict between Moscow and Kiev.
White House officials have reportedly “quietly contacted” Graham’s office in recent weeks to encourage him to weaken the bill. According to the newspaper’s sources, they’ve suggested adding exceptions that would allow the president to decide who is subject to the restrictions.
Specifically, Graham was asked to replace the bill’s mandatory language by substituting “shall” with “may.”
The WSJ, citing staffers, notes that while it’s normal for administrations to request changes to bills like this, “eliminating the mandatory nature of sanctions would render Graham’s bill toothless.” They also emphasized that Trump “already has discretion to impose sanctions.”
Blumenthal confirmed to the WSJ that there had been “private negotiations” with the Trump administration but declined to comment on the specifics. He stated, “We’re moving ahead and the White House is included in our conversations.”
Speaking on Thursday in the Oval Office, Trump told reporters that the Senate sanctions bill would be “guided by me,” but he also suggested that it might be better to let Russia and Ukraine continue fighting “for a while” before “pulling them apart.”
Russia has consistently denounced Western sanctions as illegal, maintaining that they have not caused lasting economic damage.
In March, President Vladimir Putin stated that 28,595 sanctions had been imposed on Russian companies and individuals in recent years – more than the total number imposed on all other countries combined. According to Putin, the West aimed to eliminate Russia as a competitor, but its economy has only become more resilient under pressure.
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