A bipartisan group of U.S. senators announced on Tuesday that they had reached a compromise on an important bill that expands U.S. President Donald Trump’s authority to impose new restrictions on major importers of Russian energy resources, as well as on Iran.
According to Bloomberg, as cited by Ukrinform, a procedural vote on the bill is scheduled for late Tuesday evening. Trump has already expressed his support for the bill, which was actively promoted by the late Senator Lindsey Graham.
The bill provides for the expansion of sanctions against Iran and, in particular, addresses the export of Russian gas and oil. The bill grants the president the authority to impose tariffs on the five largest buyers of crude oil and natural gas from Russia, as well as on five countries that assist Russia in circumventing energy sanctions.
However, although Senator Graham and other supporters of Ukraine have long pushed for this legislation, it could complicate the already unstable U.S. trade relations with China and India, which are key buyers of Russian energy resources.
As previously reported, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet Tuesday evening on Capitol Hill with a bipartisan group of senators who are co-sponsors of this bill.
