‘Okay With Me’ – Trump Signals Support for Sweeping Sanctions on Russia’s Trading Partners

WASHINGTON DC – US President Donald Trump on Sunday signaled explicit support for sweeping bipartisan legislation that would impose severe penalties on any country continuing to conduct business with Russia – marking his most definitive endorsement yet for a months-long congressional effort to aggressively choke off funding for the Kremlin. “The Republicans are putting in legislation that is very tough sanctioning, et cetera, on any country doing business with Russia,” Trump told reporters before departing Florida for the White House. “Well, I hear they’re doing that, and that’s okay with me,” he emphasized. He added that lawmakers may expand the scope of the sanctions regime to include another major US adversary. “They may add Iran to that,” Trump said, adding, “As you know, I suggested it… any country that does business with Russia will be very severely sanctioned.” Teeth of the proposal: From talk to action At the center of this renewed pressure is the Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025, introduced in April by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT). The bill, if enacted, would authorize a staggering 500% tariff on US imports originating from countries that knowingly purchase Russian oil, gas, uranium, or other energy-related products. The legislation has drawn remarkably bipartisan support, with 85 senators currently listed as cosponsors. On the House side, Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) has sponsored a companion bill (H.R. 2548), which similarly prohibits imports from countries trading in Russian-origin energy. Speaking to Kyiv Post late Sunday, a senior Senate aide mentioned that the fate of the Sanctioning Russia Act currently rests in the hands of one man: Republican Leader John Thune (R-SD). “This shouldn’t be a hard task,” the aide said, adding that this measure “is not simply about punishing Moscow directly – it’s about targeting its customers.” Another congressional aide characterized the bill internally as a “bunker-buster” – a mechanism designed to inflict economic damage not only on Russia but also on the nations that are propping up key components of its war economy. Trump’s shift unlocks momentum On Capitol Hill, multiple sources believe Trump’s tacit approval, barring a later reversal, could be a game-changer. While many Republicans have aggressively pushed for sanctions, some have been hesitant, waiting for a definitive signal from the White House that the President would neither veto nor undercut such a potent measure. A senior Senate Republican aide noted the political calculus: “If the [US] President truly gets behind it, this bill has a real chance not just of passing – but of being meaningful.” Trump’s acceptance – even if couched in measured terms – underscores how deeply sanctions politics has shifted in Washington. What once might have been considered fringe, hardline rhetoric is now flirting with mainstream US foreign policy. The ultimate delivery of this policy depends on several moving parts: Will the Senate advance it? Can leadership guarantee enough votes? And most importantly, will the administration ultimately use its authority aggressively – or pull its punches?