U.S. President Donald Trump stated his readiness to support a Senate bill aimed at strengthening sanctions against the Russian Federation if he deems it necessary to end the military conflict. According to him, the final decision regarding the imposition of new restrictions will be made personally by him, despite the broad support for the bill among senators.
This is reported by Finway
Potential Sanctions May Also Affect Ukraine
Donald Trump also hinted at the possibility of imposing sanctions against Ukraine if negotiations to resolve the situation do not yield results. He emphasized that he has his own deadline for reaching agreements, and if the negotiations fail, the restrictions could affect both sides of the conflict.
“When I see that we cannot reach a deal, that this will not stop, I have a deadline in my mind, we will be very tough… And this could apply to both countries,” said the head of the White House.
Despite this, the U.S. president stressed that he continues to support Ukraine in the current situation.
U.S. Policy and International Community Reaction
At the same time, the Trump administration is negotiating with Republican Senator Lindsey Graham to soften the provisions of the sanctions bill, which has already been supported by over 80 senators. Donald Trump expresses concerns that harsh restrictions could hinder his plans to restore dialogue between the U.S. and Russia.
Moreover, Trump is currently refraining from pressuring China regarding its support for the military actions of the Russian Federation. His administration is focusing on bilateral economic and strategic issues, which is leading to a decrease in the priority of the war in Ukraine on the U.S. foreign policy agenda.
The European Commission has not yet specified a timeline for the adoption of the next, 18th package of sanctions against Russia, while the EU is considering the possibility of placing Russia on the so-called ‘grey list’ of countries with insufficient controls on money laundering.
At the same time, in Slovakia, the parliament has adopted a resolution to lift sanctions against the Russian Federation. The document obliges the country’s government to vote against anti-Russian sanctions on international platforms.