US President Donald Trump indicated Sunday that he would support proposed Senate legislation imposing harsh sanctions on countries conducting business with Russia, marking his strongest endorsement yet of efforts to cut off Moscow’s funding.
“The Republicans are putting in legislation that is very tough sanctioning, etcetera, on any country doing business with Russia,” Trump told reporters before departing Florida for the White House, as quoted by Bloomberg.
The legislation, long championed by Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, would allow Trump to impose tariffs of up to 500% on imports from countries that purchase Russian energy and are not actively supporting Ukraine. The bill specifically targets major consumers such as China and India.
“We may add Iran to that,” Trump added, without elaborating.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said in October that he was prepared to bring the bill to a vote but did not commit to a firm timeline.
Democrats and some Republicans have pushed for punitive measures against Russia over its ongoing war in Ukraine. Trump had previously hesitated to back such legislation, citing his efforts to broker peace between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Despite Trump’s diplomatic overtures, including hosting Putin for a summit in Alaska, the Russian leader has shown no signs of ending his military campaign.