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US Senate May Initiate New Sanctions Against Russia Next Week, Says Senator Graham
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![Photo of Liubava Petriv]( "Photo of Liubava Petriv")
During a visit to Kyiv on May 30, US Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) indicated that the United States may soon take additional steps to increase economic pressure on Russia, and cautioned that China could also face consequences over its ongoing trade with Moscow.
“Expect next week that the Senate will start moving the sanctions bill,” Graham said, suggesting that bipartisan momentum is building in Congress. “There are House members that are ready to move in the House, and you’ll see congressional action.”
Graham’s comments come amid growing skepticism in Washington regarding the effectiveness of recent diplomatic efforts. Referring to a recent meeting in Istanbul, he remarked, “I see nothing about the meeting on Monday in Istanbul to give me any hope at all that Russia is interested in peace.”
According to Graham, the United States is considering significant policy adjustments:
“The game that Putin’s been playing is about to change. He’s going to be hit and hit hard by the United States when it comes to sanctions.”
He also addressed China’s continued imports of Russian oil, suggesting that this trade could prompt a US response:
“If you keep buying cheap Russian oil to fuel Putin’s war machine, there will be a 500% tariff on all of your products coming into the United States.”
Graham noted that China and India together account for approximately 70% of Russia’s oil exports, a key source of funding for the Kremlin.
To address this, the senator said he will meet with European partners in Paris and Berlin to advocate for adjustments in energy policy:
“I’m going to urge our European allies to lower the price cap to make it harder on Putin’s fossil fuel economy, increase OPEC production and lower the price cap. If Europe will do that, it will matter.”
In Washington, preparations are underway for a Senate briefing by Ukrainian officials. Graham confirmed that both Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell are involved in discussions.
“We’re going back to brief our colleagues. This is about telling the truth. Ukraine is not losing this war. That’s Russian propaganda.”
“If you look at the map a year ago and look at it today, it’s virtually the same.”
Previously, it was reported that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized Russia of “another deception” for failing to deliver a promised ceasefire memorandum, despite claims it had been drafted over a week ago.
