US President Donald Trump is ready to sign a sanctions bill targeting Russia. However, he will only do so if the bill is amended to grant him more control. The current bill allows the president to lift 500% tariffs on countries that purchase Russian oil and uranium for up to 180 days. The bill’s initiator, Senator Lindsey Graham, has agreed to revise it to allow for repeated lifting, subject to congressional oversight.
The proposed changes aim to consolidate the president’s authority to lift sanctions, preventing Congress from questioning the president’s decisions to do so.
“The administration will not be subject to micromanagement by Congress over the president’s foreign policy,” a senior Trump administration official stated.
A source at the White House also believes that this flexibility could leave room for a potential breakthrough in negotiations with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Meanwhile, Trump’s willingness to collaborate with Congress on sanctions reflects his growing frustration with Putin. Trump has relied on his “reputation as a man who can negotiate anything, anywhere,” but Putin has “made him look like a fool.”
The US Senate plans to consider a Russian sanctions bill by the end of July.