Trump Reportedly Urged Sen. Graham To Weaken Russian Sanctions Bill

Authored by Kyle Anzalone via AntiWar.com,

President Donald Trump is quietly leaning on Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) to “water down” the sanctions bill on Russia that could see China and India slapped with 500% tariffs. Trump believes he needs the flexibility to engage in talks with Moscow and Kiev on ending the war in Ukraine. 

According to the Wall Street Journal, Trump wants Sen. Graham to change the provision on sanctioning Russia. The reworded legislation would allow the president to pick and choose who was black listed and make the sanctions less mandatory by changing the word “shall” to “may.” The White House is arguing that foreign policy is in the purview of the Executive Branch and Congress cannot tie the President’s hands. 

If passed into law, the bill would sanction countries that import Russian energy. The primary targets of the blacklist would be China and India. All countries placed on the blacklist would face 500% tariffs. 

Graham, who authored the legislation, has described it as “the most draconian bill I’ve ever seen in my life in the Senate.”

The bill, in its current form, has bipartisan support in the Upper Chamber, and over 80 Senators have signed on as cosponsors. The legislation has only been delayed as Republican senators do not want to upset Trump by interfering in negotiations. 

Trump has stopped short of endorsing the bill, but has used it in an attempt to threaten Russian President Vladimir Putin to quickly come to an agreement with Kiev. 

Advocates of the bill say it will force the Kremlin to end the war. “I have coordinated with the White House on the Russia sanctions bill since its inception. The bill would put Russia on a trade island, slapping 500% tariffs on any country that buys Moscow’s energy products. The consequences of its barbaric invasion must be made real to those that prop it up,” Graham wrote last week. Adding, “If China or India stopped buying cheap oil, Mr. Putin’s war machine would grind to a halt.”

Washington and its European partners have announced multiple rounds of sanctions on Russia that were intended to bankrupt Moscow and bring the Kremlin’s invasion to an end. However, Moscow has weathered the Western economic war while boosting its arms production capability. 

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said the bill could be passed by the Upper Chamber this month. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA)  has expressed support for the legislation.