Democrats are withdrawing support for one of the sanctions bills against Russia

Jeanne Shaheen, deputy head of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the Senate, signaled on Wednesday the withdrawal of support for the project on sanctions against Russia, which assumes the imposition of tariffs on countries purchasing Russian crude oil. Democrats favor sanctions against Russia's shadow fleet.

Shaheen told Punchbowl News about her change of stance.

“I think there are better ways to hit the Russian economy right now,” Shaheen said, pointing to her own bill that would sanction tankers from Russia's shadow fleet. – We think there is a more effective mechanism than what is proposed in the new version of the sanctions act – she added.

This is a project submitted in April last year. by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Democrat Richard Blumenthal, which is intended to enable, among other things, the president's imposition of tariffs of up to 500 percent. on countries purchasing Russian crude oil. The bill has been stuck in committee until now due to President Donald Trump's opposition, although 85 out of 100 senators signed it. Now, however, Shaheen has signaled that this number is no longer valid.

According to Punchbowl News, the reason is the Democrats' reluctance to give President Trump additional powers to impose tariffs that could also hit US allies. Graham, the author of the bill, expressed dissatisfaction with the Democrats' position, accusing them of being guided by partisan politics.

“Clearly, a bipartisan product that would change the situation in Ukraine may be at risk for domestic political reasons. I hope that hatred for President Trump does not overshadow sound foreign policy decisions that will help Ukraine survive Putin's invasion and end this bloodbath, and Ukraine will remain free and independent,” Graham wrote on the X. “If this hatred prevails over sound foreign policy, it would be very sad indeed,” he added.

However, it is unclear whether the project would be put to a vote even with Democratic support due to the ambivalent attitude of Trump, who has signaled support for the project several times but then backed away from it.

On Tuesday, Ukraine's ambassador to the US, Olga Stefanishyna, called for the adoption of the bill.

A compromise draft law on sanctions – without additional tariffs, but with strengthened sanctions against the shadow fleet and Russia's banking and energy sectors – was created in December last year. in the House of Representatives. Its author, pro-Ukrainian Republican Brian Fitzpatrick, threatened to force a vote on the document if the House leadership did not agree to it of its own accord. Negotiations on this matter are currently underway, and only one politician's signature on the appropriate petition is needed to force the vote.

– Honestly, it's hard to say where we stand. This changes from day to day, depending on who you talk to at a given time of day, a Democrat involved in the negotiations told PAP.

Ambassador Stefaniszyna expressed frustration with the prolonged impasse on Tuesday.

– What are we waiting for, what else needs to happen for the Senate and Congress to decide that this bill should be passed? – Stefaniszyna said during a press briefing. – Either this law should be passed now, or we will simply have to acknowledge that there is no will to do it – she added.

From Washington Oskar Górzyński (PAP)

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