Is the US about to impose new sanctions targeting Russian energy?
Four US senators have reached an agreement with President Donald Trump to pass a bill imposing tariffs and sanctions on countries that buy oil and gas from Russia.
On the morning of July 11, AFP reported that a group of four US senators announced they had reached an agreement with President Donald Trump to advance a bipartisan bill targeting sanctions against countries that continue to purchase energy from Russia.
According to a joint statement, the group of lawmakers, including Republican Senators Lindsey Graham and Roger Wicker, along with Democratic Senators Richard Blumenthal and Jeanne Shaheen, said they expect to announce the updated bill "very soon."
According to the bill, the legislature will empower the US President to impose sanctions and tariffs on countries that continue to purchase energy from Russia. This is one of the most important sources of revenue for Moscow's military operations.
"In the context of escalating conflict, it is imperative that the legislative and executive branches work together to create tools that force buyers of Russian oil and gas to pay a heavy price...", the group of senators emphasized in their statement.
This bill has undergone months of negotiations but has struggled to advance due to prior reactions from the White House and President Trump's flexible approach toward Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
Although details of the new version of the bill have not yet been released, a previous proposal outlined tariffs of up to 500% on goods imported from countries that buy Russian oil, gas, uranium, and other products.
Currently, China and India are Moscow's largest customers for crude oil.
The agreement comes after signs that President Trump is growing impatient with the lack of progress in negotiations to end the conflict that began in February 2022.
Earlier, at the G7 Summit in France in June, Trump stated that Russia should "reach an agreement," while also leaving open the possibility that Washington could reinstate sanctions on Russian oil that had been temporarily suspended.
While the senators' announcement doesn't guarantee immediate passage, the support from the Trump administration is expected to help remove the biggest political hurdle to a piece of legislation that has already garnered bipartisan support.
Currently, the White House has not issued an official comment on this agreement.
