President Trump may be ready to up the pressure on Russia, as peace talks between the nation and Ukraine have stalled as of late.
According to Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) people should “stay tuned” for announcements on asset seizures, sanctions or other measures that the U.S. could use to help bring Russia back to the negotiating table.
“The idea of America selling weapons to help Ukraine is very much in play. I don’t want to get ahead of the president, but stay tuned about seized assets. The Europeans want to limit the interest on the assets to go to Ukraine. Secretary [Scott] Bessent wants to go further. Stay tuned about a plan to go after the seized assets more aggressively. Stay tuned for a plan where America will begin to sell to our European allies a tremendous amount of weapons that can benefit Ukraine,” Graham told CBS’s “Face The Nation.”
Graham, along with Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) introduced a bill to give Trump the authority to implement 500 percent tariffs on any country that buys gas, oil or uranium from Russia. The tariff would last for 180 days.
“The big offenders here are China, India, and Brazil. India buys oil from Russia cheap and resells it. That’s despicable. The only way you’re going to end this war is to get people who prop up Putin, make them choose between the American economy and helping Putin. You can only have one negotiator, and that’s going to be President Trump with maximum flexibility to end this war. China, India, and Brazil, you’re about to get hurt big time if you keep helping Putin,” Graham said.
Trump in recent weeks has lost his patience with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
During a cabinet meeting last week, Trump said that “[W]e get a lot of bulls**t thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth. He’s very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.”
Trump, however, has not showed public support for Graham and Blumenthal’s legislation. But, according to a senior administration official who spoke with Politico, Trump would sign it if it would give him more flexibility regarding the sanctions, in order for the president to continue his sole authority over foreign policy.
As such, Graham said he would amend the legislation so Trump could completely waive the sanctions.
According to the administration official, “[T]he current version would subject the president’s foreign policy decisions to micromanagement by Congress through a joint resolution of disapproval process. … That’s a nonstarter for us. The administration is not going to be micromanaged by the Congress on the president’s foreign policy. The bill needs a waiver authority that is complete.”
On Monday, during a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, Trump stated that, should Russia not agree to a ceasefire within the next 50 days, the U.S. would implement 100 percent secondary economic sanctions on any country that trades with Russia.
“We’re very, very unhappy with them, and we’re going to be doing very severe tariffs if we don’t have a deal in about 50 days,” Trump said.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, Trump said he would be selling Patriot missiles to European allies, which would then pass them on to Ukraine.
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