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White House: Trump in Talks With Senate on Sanctions Against Russia, but Wants Final Say
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US President Donald Trump is in close contact with the Senate regarding sanctions against Russia, but he wants to retain the final decision-making authority, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said on July 24.
"The President is in close communication with his Senate allies, including Senator Lindsey Graham, on this issue. But the President has always emphasized that he is the commander-in-chief, and the president for a reason,” spokesperson stated during a briefing.
“He has been deeply involved in this conflict from the beginning, so he wants to make any decisions regarding sanctions himself," Leavitt concluded, Radio Liberty reports.
At the end of June, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham stated that President Trump supported the approval of a bill imposing sanctions on Russia for its oil trade. Graham mentioned that there had been a "major breakthrough" in the matter of sanctions.
However, Graham noted that the bill he introduced would not automatically trigger sanctions against Russia, and the final decision would remain with the US President.
Earlier, it was reported that Graham, his fellow Democrat Senator Richard Blumenthal, and 80 other co-sponsors submitted a bill that would impose additional economic sanctions on Russia for its refusal to reach a ceasefire, including a 500% tariff on goods imported from countries purchasing Russian oil.
The bill has support in the House of Representatives, but no steps have been taken toward its passage since it was introduced in the spring. The document has yet to be approved.
