South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham reported that President Donald Trump “gave the green light” to a bill imposing sanctions on Russia, a proposal that enjoys broad support from both Republicans and Democrats. This came after a meeting they had on Wednesday.
Graham indicated in a press statement that he expects “a strong bipartisan vote” on this law, expressing his hope that it will happen “within the next week.”
Graham explained that the bill, which he has been working on for several months in cooperation with members of both the Republican and Democratic parties, aims to impose sanctions on countries that have commercial relations with Russia, including countries that buy Russian energy exports. He justified this with “Moscow’s failure to negotiate a peace agreement with Ukraine.”
He affirmed that this legislation “will allow President Trump to punish countries that buy cheap Russian oil,” considering that it “funds the war machine” led by President Vladimir Putin. He mentioned China, India, and Brazil as examples of countries that may be targeted by these sanctions.
An American official had stated to Reuters last November that Trump would sign the legislation if it was passed, but he would insist that the final wording ensure that he retains control over the process of imposing sanctions. (Al Jazeera)
