(Washington/Paris) US President Donald Trump believes that the Senate's proposed legislation to impose sanctions on countries trading with Russia "fits his position." The bill would also authorize Trump to impose tariffs of up to 500% on countries that purchase Russian energy and have not actively supported Ukraine.
This is his clearest statement to date, indicating his willingness to support a proposal that has been under development for months and aims to cut off Moscow's funding.
Trump said on Sunday (November 16): "Republicans are introducing a very tough sanctions bill targeting any country that does business with Russia… We might also add Iran to the sanctions list."
However, Trump did not provide further details.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune indicated in October that he was prepared to put Senator Lindsey Graham's long-push sanctions bill against Russia to a vote. This measure primarily targets India and China, major buyers of Russian energy.
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Trump, dissatisfied with India's purchase of Russian oil, doubled tariffs on Indian goods to 50% in August.
The Russia-Ukraine war has lasted nearly four years. Trump attempted to broker peace talks and met with Russian President Putin in Alaska in August. However, Russia showed no signs of abating militarily, prompting Trump to increase pressure on Russia, imposing sanctions on two major Russian oil companies last month.
Russia said on Sunday that its troops had made significant progress in the Zaporizhzhia region of southeastern Ukraine, capturing two settlements. Ukraine, however, continued its defense and retaliated against Russian energy infrastructure, causing power outages for approximately 500,000 people in several regions.
To acquire more military equipment, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy met with French President Macron on Monday (August 17th), and is expected to finalize agreements on air defense equipment, fighter jets, and missiles to enhance the Ukrainian army's long-term combat capabilities.
According to two sources familiar with the matter, Zelensky's visit is expected to yield further gains for Kyiv, potentially including a 10-year strategic aviation agreement under which France will supply Kyiv with multi-role Rafale fighter jets, and possibly further deals for the SAMP-T Mamba air defense system.
Last month, Macron pledged to provide more Mirage fighter jets and a batch of new ASTER-30 surface-to-air missiles produced by the European arms company MBDA.
The French presidential palace stated that Macron will leverage France's strong military-industrial capabilities to help Ukraine acquire the defense systems needed to counter Russian aggression.
Zelensky's trip will also include a visit to the Villacoublad airbase near Paris to observe a demonstration of the French Rafale fighter jets and to inspect drones and surface-to-air missile systems.
