rki.news

Washington, Jan. 9 — U.S. President Donald Trump has voiced support for a bipartisan Senate bill aimed at imposing sweeping sanctions on countries that continue importing Russian oil, while expressing hope that the measure will not ultimately be enforced.
Speaking in an interview with Fox News on Thursday night, Trump said he supports the legislation, which would require the United States to impose a 500 percent tariff on all goods imported from any country purchasing Russian oil, petroleum products, or uranium. “I support it. I hope we don’t have to use it anyway,” he said.
A day earlier, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham stated that Trump had given approval for the bill, which Graham has been working on for months alongside Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal and other lawmakers. Following a meeting with Trump, Graham said the president had “greenlit” the legislation, calling its timing appropriate and indicating that a Senate vote could take place as early as next week.
Trump also commented on the recent seizure of a Russia-flagged oil tanker linked to Venezuela in the North Atlantic, saying he did not consider it a difficult decision. Reports indicated that Russia had dispatched a naval vessel in an attempt to protect the tanker.
The sanctions bill was initially introduced in April last year and gained strong bipartisan backing, securing 84 co-sponsors in the Senate. However, it previously stalled amid insufficient support from Trump, according to media reports.
The renewed momentum signals a potential shift in Washington’s approach toward economic pressure related to Russian energy exports.