Senators see momentum on Russia sanctions even as White House sends mixed signals

Comments by Senate leadership have renewed expectations among lawmakers that the chamber will soon entertain sanctions on Russia — even as questions remain about whether President Donald Trump would support them.  

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters on Thursday that he thought the Senate could consider sanctions introduced by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., “in the next 30 days.” 

Trump, in contrast, told reporters on Thursday that the timing to impose sanctions might not be right.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters on Thursday he thought the Senate could consider sanctions introduced by Sens. Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal. (Maxine Wallace/The Washington Post)

The sanctions, which have been in the works for months, may have newfound momentum in Congress amid the Trump administration’s increased support for Ukraine in recent weeks — and as Zelenskyy returned to the U.S. this week to press his case for a more aggressive stance against Moscow. 

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle believe the sanctions bill is ripe for consideration. Senators like Blumenthal said those sanctions could be a missing component to ending the three-year conflict that has so far frustrated attempts at meaningful resolution.

“Leader Thune is right. It’s time to bring the Graham-Blumenthal Russian Sanctions bill to the floor,” Blumenthal told Fox News Digital in a statement. 

“Passing it would show unity across our government in support of confronting Putin’s bloody atrocities against Ukraine. A vote on our bone-crushing sanctions bill within the next 30 days is imperative to bring Putin’s war machine to a grinding halt,” Blumenthal added. 

In its current form, the measure would allow the President of the United States enhanced powers to block energy sales, block visas, halt investment listings, impose tariffs of up to 500%, and more — if the president determines that Russia isn’t engaging in good-faith efforts to end the war.

The bill creates some exceptions for humanitarian reasons.

Despite Trump’s hesitations on Thursday, he’s signaled openness to the idea of sanctions before. Graham, the sponsor of the legislation, said it equips the president with an expanded negotiating arsenal.

“Yeah, I hope so. It’s a tool available for the president,” Graham said of the legislation, “It empowers him. It’s up to him how to use it.”

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Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. speaks during a press conference on Saint Michael’s Square in the city center in Kyiv, Ukraine, May 2025. (Viktor Kovalchuk/Getty Images)

In addition to its 84 cosponsors in the Senate, the bill has 113 cosponsors in the House of Representatives.

Despite its broad support, Thune warned there are still aspects of the legislation that need to be addressed before it can be put to a vote.

“There are technical issues that are being worked out between the White House and Senator Graham, obviously, who’s the lead sponsor of the bill,” Thune told reporters on Thursday.

He didn’t expand on what areas might need a second look.

Thune added that to put the kind of pressure on Putin that lawmakers have in mind, the bill would also need the support of the international community. 

“We also need to have it amplified by the Europeans. And that’s one of the things the administration is working on. It doesn’t do any good to have the United States unilaterally going to all these countries and sanctioning them, and then having the Europeans buying energy from them,” Thune said.

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Renewed expectations about the bill come as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the White House on Friday, making the case that additional striking capabilities are needed to bring Putin to the negotiating table.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy gives a press conference in Kyiv, Feb. 26, 2025. (Tetiana Dzhafarova/AFP)

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Its sponsor in the House, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., called the bill another way to ramp up the pressure to negotiate. 

“There are moments in history when hesitation carries a cost too great to bear. This is one of them. Bipartisan support for this bill is overwhelming, and every day of delay is a gift to Putin.”

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“We must give the president every tool to end this war and secure peace through strength. That’s how America leads. That’s how freedom prevails. I’m grateful to Leader Thune for recognizing the urgency of this moment, and I encourage Speaker Johnson to continue his leadership on this issue by scheduling a vote as soon as possible,” Fitzpatrick said.

The Senate has recessed for the weekend and will return to Washington, D.C., on Monday.