The new bill that would introduce tough sanctions against Russia's allies has received overwhelming support in the US Senate from both Republicans and Democrats, writes The Telegraph, quoted by FOCUS.
The Telegraph writes that some members of the Senate have clearly stated that they will try to vote on it without waiting for a "green light" from US President Donald Trump.
On Wednesday, Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal introduced a bill to introduce crippling sanctions against Russia's allies. His main position is to impose a 500 percent tariff on any country that buys Russian oil, gas, uranium and other products to stop China and others from “supporting Putin's war machine“.
As The Telegraph notes, the bill has the support of 81 senators from both parties, although any attempt to impose his point of view on Trump is likely to be poorly received in the White House.
Trump has warned that sanctions against Russia could force Putin to abandon peace talks, but some Republican senators have made it clear that they are skeptical of Trump's talks with the Russian president and have said they will act without waiting for his approval.
"I don't expect anything. I think we should raise this issue for discussion and punish Putin. We've waited long enough. And it's clear to me that Putin has been leading us by the nose for several months, and I don't think the United States of America should tolerate that," said Todd Young, the senior Republican senator from Indiana.
At the same time, Republican Senator Mike Rounds estimated that about 70 senators would support the bill even without Trump's support.
However, the bill will not be voted on until early June at the earliest, since Congress will go on vacation next week.
And although the Senate could theoretically overcome President Trump's request to veto the bill, it would also have to pass the House of Representatives, which is less favorable to Ukraine and where Trump has greater influence, the publication notes.
US sanctions against Russia
Earlier, Western media reported that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was persuading President Donald Trump to impose sanctions against Russia amid the failure of ceasefire talks in Ukraine. However, the American leader is still hesitant.
As noted, the new sanctions bill must also be passed by the House of Representatives, where the Republican leadership is acting in full agreement with the White House. If the White House refuses to support the sanctions bill, its supporters in the House of Representatives will likely have to bypass the leadership and force a new vote, which is a complex and exhausting procedure.