US President Donald Trump said that he considers the Senate bill for new sanctions against Russia to be "very strong", but he will personally make the decision to introduce new restrictions.
"They have a bill. It will be up to me. It is my decision. It is a very strong bill," he told reporters at the White House.
Trump also added that he did not ask the Senate to soften the sanctions envisaged by the legislative initiative.
On Friday, the Wall Street Journal, citing its sources, reported that the Trump administration is asking Republican Senator Lindsey Graham to weaken the new sanctions bill against Russia. According to the publication, the White House fears that tightening sanctions will harm Trump's attempts to establish a dialogue with Moscow and end the Ukrainian conflict. The document, which has already been supported by more than 80 senators, proposes the introduction of restrictions on key Russian officials and economic sectors, as well as sanctions against countries that cooperate with Moscow.
In the Senate, the document has already been supported by 82 senators, which is more than enough to overcome the presidential veto. In the House of Representatives, a similar project was introduced by Republican Brian Fitzpatrick, who gathered 60 co-authors from both parties. House Speaker Mike Johnson said he himself is a supporter of tough measures against Russia.
Democratic Senator Tim Kaine, who was interviewed by the publication, expressed cautious optimism regarding the amendments under discussion, emphasizing that their admissibility depends on the extent of the changes.
"If these are minor adjustments, I will certainly support them. But if the bill is so vague that it loses its essence, we will not allow that," he emphasized.