Democratic bill threatens more sanctions on Russia – Reuters
A bill introduced by Democratic lawmakers in the US House of Representatives on Monday threatens to impose additional sanctions on Russia in support of Ukraine, Reuters has reported.
The legislation, which is not yet public, is designed to deter the administration of President Donald Trump from pursuing closer ties with Russia at the expense of Kiev, according to the news agency.
The bill was reportedly sponsored by Rep. Gregory Meeks, the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. According to Reuters, it mandates US involvement in Ukraine’s reconstruction, continued military aid through direct loans and financing, and sanctions targeting Russian financial institutions, oil and mining sectors, as well as certain officials.
Congressional aides told Reuters that the bill would likely struggle to pass in the Republican-majority House. However, their objective is “to influence negotiations on any Ukraine-related legislation eventually passed by Congress,” with some of the bill’s language “expected to appear in any final broad Ukraine package” debated on Capitol Hill, the report noted.
While Trump has said he seeks mutually beneficial cooperation with Russia, he has also threatened to significantly increase pressure on Moscow if he believes that the latter is not negotiating in good faith over Ukraine. Russia has expressed a willingness to resolve the conflict, but has pointed out Ukraine’s repeated violations of a US-proposed moratorium on strikes against energy infrastructure.
Earlier in April, a bipartisan group introduced a separate piece of legislation targeting Russia. According to its key sponsor, veteran foreign policy hawk Lindsey Graham, the bill would “sanction the hell out of” Moscow.
Critics accuse Trump of taking a lenient approach toward Russia in his attempts to mend diplomatic ties. The president has acknowledged that NATO’s expansion in Europe since the 1990s was an important factor in the Ukraine conflict. Supporters of Kiev maintain that blaming anyone but Moscow for the hostilities constitutes a distortion of history.
Additionally, the Trump administration is working to finalize a so-called minerals deal with Kiev. He claims that gaining access to Ukraine’s natural resources will help recoup much of the billions of dollars spent on the conflict by former President Joe Biden. Trump has characterized the state of affairs as an abuse of American generosity by Ukraine and Washington’s European allies.
