The Senate could vote as soon as next week on a bipartisan Russian sanctions bill to give President Trump more tools to use against the Kremlin as he seeks to broker a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine.
Lawmakers have been eager to vote on the bill for months, with Republicans saying they were waiting for Mr. Trump to give them the green light to pass it.
On Wednesday, they got it.
“After a very productive meeting today with President Trump on a variety of issues, he greenlit the bipartisan Russia sanctions bill that I have been working on for months with Senator [Richard] Blumenthal and many others,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Republican.
The measure, which has 84 Senate cosponsors, would impose penalties on Russian individuals and entities that the president determines are standing in the way of a peace agreement with Ukraine.
It also gives Mr. Trump the authority to punish countries like China, India and Brazil that are buying cheap Russian oil that helps finance the war.
Mr. Graham and Mr. Blumenthal, Connecticut Democrat, first introduced the sanctions legislation in April and spent time fine-tuning it while waiting on Mr. Trump to decide he wanted the extra power as part of his negotiating arsenal.
Mr. Trump has tried to no avail to get Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to a peace deal with Ukraine.
“I’m not thrilled with Putin. He’s killing too many people,” Mr. Trump said Saturday.
Mr. Graham said he looks forward to the Senate holding “a strong bipartisan vote” on the sanctions bill as early as next week.
“This will be well-timed, as Ukraine is making concessions for peace and Putin is all talk, continuing to kill the innocent,” he said.
