Harsh sanctions against Russia may be delayed because of Trump — Politico
Consideration of the bill to tighten sanctions against Russia may be delayed due to proposals by U.S. President Donald Trump to amend it. According to Politico, the president wants to expand the scope of the bill by adding restrictions against Iran as well.
A final decision on the bill—co-sponsored by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham—is unlikely to be made anytime soon. The House of Representatives will not be able to begin consideration of the bill until lawmakers return from their summer recess in September.
Furthermore, an expedited voting procedure in the Senate requires the consent of all 100 senators, which significantly complicates the prospects for a quick adoption. One of the publication’s sources suggested that the bill might not be passed until late 2026.
An additional factor that could slow down consideration of the bill is Trump’s proposal to include Iran in it. “I would like them to add Iran to the list of those subject to tariffs, not just sanctions. I think this is important. That’s exactly what Lindsey wanted,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
According to Politico, this initiative has raised concerns among Democrats. They fear that expanding the president’s authority to impose tariffs could be used not only against Russia or Iran but also as a tool to pressure U.S. allies.
It is precisely the disputes over the scope of the president’s powers that have repeatedly caused delays in previous versions of this bill. At the same time, according to Politico, Ukraine is interested in the bill’s adoption as soon as possible, since once it takes effect, it will take some time for the sanctions to take full effect. For this reason, every delay is critical.
As a reminder, U.S. President Donald Trump has so far been unable to bring Iran back to the negotiating table or achieve an outcome that would allow the conflict to be resolved on terms favorable to Washington. Against this backdrop, CNN outlined a possible scenario for de-escalation.
China has denied reports that it is allegedly preparing to transfer hundreds of man-portable air defense systems to Iran. Beijing stated that reports of a possible arms shipment are false and that China is allegedly seeking only to facilitate the resolution of conflicts.
On the night of July 29, Iran launched a missile strike on one of the U.S. military bases in the Middle East. This was the first attack since the parties announced last week that they would cease mutual strikes.
