Trump urges House GOP to unveil Epstein documents
President Donald Trump stated that the proposed Senate legislation to impose sanctions on countries doing business with Russia would be “okay with me,” marking his most definitive indication to date that he would back a prolonged effort to cut off funding to Moscow. “The Republicans are putting in legislation that is very tough sanctioning, etcetera, on any country doing business with Russia,” Trump told before leaving Florida on Sunday to return to the White House. In October, Senate Majority Leader John Thune expressed his readiness to bring to a vote legislation long advocated by Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, which imposes sanctions on Russia, but he refrained from “wanting to commit to a hard deadline.”
The bill would enable Trump to impose tariffs of up to 500 percent on imports from nations that purchase Russian energy products and do not actively support Ukraine. This specifically focuses on significant consumers of Russian energy, including China and India. “We may add Iran to that,” Trump stated on Sunday, without providing further details. Legislators from both the Democratic and Republican parties in Congress are advocating for measures to hold Russia accountable for its ongoing aggression against Ukraine. Trump had shown hesitation in endorsing it while attempting to facilitate peace discussions between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Putin continues to demonstrate an unwavering commitment to his military campaign, persisting in the conflict in Ukraine for nearly four years. Despite hosting the Russian leader for a summit in Alaska, Trump has been unable to influence Putin’s actions. As Ukraine escalates its attacks on Russian oil targets, Russia has ramped up its air strikes on Ukraine and is making efforts to seize control of the rail hub in Pokrovsk.
The developments highlight growing bipartisan pressure within Congress to intensify efforts against Russia while Trump attempts to balance his public support for sanctions with his separate diplomatic efforts. The clash between legislative momentum and diplomatic attempts underscores the complexity of the U.S. approach to Russia as the conflict in Ukraine continues without signs of resolution.
