A heated debate is ongoing in the U.S. Congress about the introduction of new sanctions against Russia, despite President Donald Trump's doubts. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick are directing a bill proposing strict restrictions that has not yet been considered.
According to Bild, the authors of the bill plan to 'tie' it to an emergency government funding package to avoid it being ignored by legislators.
'We will reach out to our colleagues from both parties to join this initiative and support freedom against tyranny,' the initiators stated. Previous attempts to implement the project in the Senate or the House of Representatives encountered resistance from leadership that did not wish to support it.
President Trump opposes new sanctions and proposes imposing tariffs on imports from India, which experts believe is the second-largest buyer of Russian oil after China. The bill by Graham and Fitzpatrick also includes secondary sanctions against countries that continue to purchase energy resources from Russia, including China and India. If the Republicans manage to include this bill in the budget package, Congress will be compelled to consider it, even against the White House's wishes.
The discussion in Congress indicates significant tension in U.S.-Russia relations, as well as a divided approach to the issue of sanctions within the American legislative body.