Republican Party allies in Ukraine are looking to exploit Trump’s momentum against Putin

Senators are hoping to seize the momentum as President Trump continues to attack Russian President Vladimir Putin, although Republicans remain wary about getting ahead of the commander-in-chief.

Kiev and its supporters welcomed Trump’s announcement on Wednesday evening that he would impose sanctions on Russia for the first time, indicating that Trump is turning away from his appeals to Putin in favor of a pressure campaign to reach a ceasefire in Ukraine.

Republicans and Democrats in the Senate are laying the groundwork to attack Putin with a series of other sanctions.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday introduced three bills aimed at punishing Russia and its supporters. This includes designating Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism due to its kidnapping of Ukrainian children; enhancing the United States’ ability to seize frozen Russian assets; And the sanctions authority to target Chinese elements who help the Russian army.

But the bills are unlikely to come forward unless Trump gives the green light.

“I’m not sure anything will move forward without the president’s approval; we’re still trying to be a team on this,” Sen. Mike Rounds (R.S.D.) told The Hill.

“But we talk about it every day. I think when the time is right, we will implement these things, but we want to make sure that we do it right and that we are specific with the powers that we give the president in terms of sanctions. We want to do it right.”

Trump’s control of the Republican-controlled Congress has made the body largely irrelevant to his efforts to end the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. With the government closed and no clear date for the return of the House of Representatives, any vote in the Senate will be halted in the House of Representatives.

“I don’t think Congress is influenced by Putin as much as it is influenced by conversations with the president,” said Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.D.) said he agreed with Risch “to some extent,” but said any delay in the sanctions bill targeting Russia is part of coordination with the White House to show a united front.

“What I want to do is make clear that we agree with the president and I think that the US Senate voting on a sanctions package that is consistent with what the administration wants to do provides more weight. And that they will do that.” [Russia] “Note that,” said Tillis.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (RSD) indicated on Wednesday that he could move to introduce a veto-proof bill that would impose sanctions on foreign countries that buy Russian oil — a measure that has been on hold for months due to Trump’s opposition.

“John said we’ll do it in 30 days, and we’ll do it in 30 days,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R.C.) told The Hill on Wednesday. Graham is the original sponsor of the penal bill along with Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.). Among its provisions is the imposition of 500% customs duties on countries that help finance Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Trump’s first sanctions against Russia targeted two of the largest oil producers, Rosneft and Lukoil, and their subsidiaries. The sanctions announcement left the door open to the possibility of imposing secondary sanctions on buyers of Russian oil, and appears to have a negative impact on Russia’s main beneficiaries – China and India.

Chinese national oil companies on Thursday suspended purchases of Russian seaborne oil, and Indian refiners are expected to sharply reduce imports of Russian oil, Reuters reported.

“These sanctions represent a step in the right direction, but nowhere near enough to prevent oil and gas revenues from fueling Russia’s murderous war machine,” Blumenthal wrote on the social media platform X.

“This action should be followed by heavy sanctions like the Graham-Blumenthal sanctions bill to prevent China, India, Brazil, Hungary and others from purchasing oil and gas.”

Speaking to The Hill before Trump’s announcement, Graham said his sanctions bill could be used as additional pressure to get Putin to agree to the president’s proposal for an immediate ceasefire on the Line of Contact.

“The best way to end this war is to dismantle the Russian energy sector, which is the sole source of income for Putin’s war machine. Continue to go after Russian oil companies and customers who buy their cheap oil and refuse to help Ukraine,” Graham posted on X after Trump announced the sanctions.

But Republican senators are still deferring to Trump.

Sen. Markwayne Mullen (R-Oklahoma) welcomed Trump’s oil sanctions, but said he would not move forward with the Graham-Blumenthal sanctions bill without the president’s approval.

He added: “We do not want to get ahead of the president.”

While last week’s meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky turned into a shouting match and that Kiev did not get Tomahawk missiles, Trump’s decision to impose sanctions and postpone a second face-to-face meeting with Putin gives confidence to Kiev’s supporters.

“I was amazed at how relaxed and confident he was [Zelensky] “It wasn’t that he downplayed anything,” Evelyn Farkas, executive director of the McCain Institute at Arizona State University, said of Friday’s meeting with Trump. Farkas met with Zelensky on Friday, after Trump’s meeting, along with members of think tanks focused on countering Russia’s war in Ukraine.

She added: “He had this confidence that comes from knowing that your enemy is back to haunt you. Why does Putin need this meeting with Trump? Because he feels weak.”

Trump did not end US military support for Ukraine, but he shifted most of the financial burden to NATO member states, which buy weapons from the United States to transfer to Ukraine, in an initiative called PURL.

While NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced pledges worth $1 billion in procurement, military transfers to Ukraine during July and August decreased by 43%, compared to the same period of the previous year.

“I think we’ve seen President Trump not wanting to take action to stop security aid, but we’ve also not seen him not wanting to take action to significantly increase it either,” said Alina Polyakova, president and CEO of the Center for European Policy Analysis.

The main focus of Ukraine and its European allies is to help craft a multi-point plan for Trump on a ceasefire with Russia that he can offer, similar to his 20-point peace plan that led to a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

“President Trump and President Zelensky have already agreed on the main positions on Friday. These terms have already been announced – a ceasefire along the current battle lines,” Olga Stefanyshyn, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, said in a statement.

“This agreement requires implementation, as well as further arrangements regarding security guarantees for the entire territory of Ukraine. Ukraine is working with its international partners to ensure that these basic conditions are properly secured.”