WASHINGTON — Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) is ready to move on a bill sanctioning Russia if a cease-fire with Ukraine isn’t reached by the end of next week — if President Trump gives him “the green light.”
Thune told The Post in an exclusive interview Wednesday that he’s “hopeful” the legislation — introduced by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and sponsored by more than 80 senators — would give Trump more leverage to wind down the 41-month-old war.
Thune, 64, admitted that the commander-in-chief may decide to take “unilateral action” to impose those sanctions, but the House and Senate were “ready to move” if asked to apply harsher penalties.
“He’s somebody who is animated largely by trying to get to a peaceful solution,” the Republican leader said of Trump. “I think the president genuinely believes in that. We want to be a good partner in that and so like I said, we’ve been, I made it clear we’re available to move on that whenever they’re ready to have us do it.”
On Tuesday, Trump shortened a 50-day window before slapping sanctions on Vladimir Putin down to just 10 days, as the Russian strongman shows no signs of letting up on nightly bombings against Ukraine and merciless drone strikes on civilians.
“I’m disappointed in him, I must be honest with you,” the president told Post columnist Miranda Devine of Putin on the newest episode of “Pod Force One.”
“We’ve had great conversations, but it hasn’t been followed up with, you know, just some very bad things have happened. Very, very bad things have happened after we’ve had conversations. And I’d leave and I’d say, ‘Well, I really thought we had it settled’ three or four times.”
Trump said Monday he hadn’t determined whether to impose additional sanctions on Russia or slap secondary tariffs on buyers of Russian energy, while repeating that the US hasn’t seen “any progress being made” toward ending Europe’s bloodiest conflict since World War II.
At least three summits have been held between Ukraine and Russia in Turkey in recent months with a cease-fire no closer, though there have been some prisoner swaps.
“I’m not so interested in talking anymore,” Trump told reporters during a Monday press conference at his Turnberry club in Scotland while meeting with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“Trump is going to impose tariffs on people that buy Russian oil. China, India and Brazil, those three countries buy about 80% of cheap Russian oil,” Graham said of the move over the weekend. “That’s what keeps Putin’s war machine going.”
The South Carolina Republican’s bill would place a much higher 500% tariff on Russian oil, gas, uranium and other products.
“I’m hopeful at least that at some point he’ll give us the green light,” Thune said. “It gives him added credibility and added weight to his side of the negotiations if in fact he’s got the entire United States Congress behind him.
“At least right now, they’ve been happy to have these discussions and negotiations independently without the threat of you know, a sanctions bill coming out of the Congress, but I think it strengthens their hand.”
