According to an analysis by the New York Times, the administration of President Donald Trump has signaled that passage of a new sweeping sanctions bill against Russia is not among the White House's top priorities at this time.
As Congress demonstrates an unprecedented bipartisan drive to tighten the noose around Moscow, the Trump team is trying to maintain “diplomatic flexibility“. The president insists that he is not being squeezed by legislative constraints that could hinder his direct negotiations with the Kremlin to end the war in Ukraine.
Lindsey Graham's death as a catalyst in Congress
The political dynamics surrounding The bill changed dramatically after the sudden death of influential Republican Senator Lindsey Graham on July 11. The extremely austerity package that Graham had been working on for months was his biggest political cause before his death.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer joined forces to urge the bill to be voted on immediately as a tribute to Graham's legacy. A few days ago, Graham himself visited Kiev, where he assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that the texts were already in principle agreed with the White House. However, the administration's actual actions show tactical delay.
What does the new bill provide?
The revised version of the document is the result of long and confidential compromises between Congress and the Trump team. The main pillars of the economic blow include:
- Tariffs on oil and gas: Imposing up to 100% tariffs on the five largest buyers of Russian energy resources (including China and India), which is a significant reduction from the initially proposed 500%.
- A Strike on the “Shadow Fleet“: Direct punitive measures against oil tankers that operate outside the reach of Western maritime and insurance services.
- Energy Blockade: Complete blocking of assets of the largest Russian state-owned liquefied natural gas projects such as Yamal LNG and Arctic LNG.
- Expanding the scope: Donald Trump personally proposed that the package also include additional severe sanctions against Iran and “Hezbollah“ due to their military cooperation with Moscow.
The “national interest“ clause – the bone of contention
The main reason for the White House's lack of haste is the desire for complete control. The new version of the document contains a key provision that allows Trump to personally lift or freeze sanctions if he deems it to be in the “national interest of the United States“.
Analysts cited by the New York Times indicate that the administration wants to use this law as a bargaining chip in possible peace talks, rather than as an automatic weapon that would close the door to diplomacy with Vladimir Putin. Pressure from the Senate is expected to intensify in the coming days, putting Trump in a delicate position vis-à-vis his own party.