The U.S. Senate begins voting on a sanctions bill against Russia

The U.S. Senate has begun deliberation on a new sanctions bill against Russia. The discussion coincided with a visit to Washington by Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, where he attended the funeral of late Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the bill's authors.

The bill provides for imposing sanctions on representatives of the Russian government. Additionally, the President would have the authority to impose tariffs of up to 100% on countries that are buyers of Russian oil and natural gas. Among them are listed India, Japan, and several European Union countries.

Donald Trump stated that he would support the bill after Iran sanctions were added to the document. However, some Democrats believe that the initiative grants the President excessively broad authority to impose tariffs, which could negatively affect America's trade relationships with its partners.

If the bill is approved by both chambers, Trump would have the ability to use sanctions and tariffs against countries that continue to purchase Russia's energy resources.

Source: Investing.com