US President Donald Trump is in contact with the Senate on sanctions against Russian Federation but wants to make the decision personally, White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt said.
“The president is in close contact with his allies in the Senate, particularly Senator Lindsey Graham, on this issue. But the president has always emphasised that he is commander-in-chief, and president for a reason. He has been deeply involved in this conflict from the beginning, so he wants to keep any decisions on sanctions to himself,” Leavitt said at the briefing.
In late June, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said that US President Donald Trump supported the approval of the bill on sanctions against Russia for oil trade. According to him, there is a “big breakthrough” in the issue of sanctions against Russia.
However, as Graham noted, the bill initiated by him will not pull mandatory sanctions against Russia – the final decision will be made by the US president.
Earlier, Graham, his Democratic colleague Richard Blumenthal and 80 other co-sponsors filed a bill that would impose additional economic sanctions against Russia for its refusal to abandon the ceasefire, including a 500 per cent duty on goods imported from countries that buy Russian oil.
The project has support in the House of Representatives as well, but since its initiation in the spring, no steps have been taken to pass it. The document has still not been approved.
On 14 July, US President Donald Trump announced his intention to impose “harsh” duties against Russia if it refuses to agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine within fifty days. Later, the White House clarified that the duties would also be imposed on goods from countries that buy Russian oil.