Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Monday he would hold off on advancing a closely watched package of sanctions targeting Russia’s trading partners — including on energy — after President Donald Trump said he was prepared to act himself later this summer if the nation doesn’t move toward a peace deal with Ukraine.
“It sounds like right now the president is going to attempt to do some of this on his own,” Thune told reporters. “If at some point the president concludes that it makes sense and adds value and leverage that he needs in those negotiations to move the bill, then we’ll do it. We’ll be ready to go.”
Trump on Monday threatened to impose “secondary tariffs” of up to 100 percent on countries that still trade with Russia. The Senate legislation would authorize even steeper duties on a list of nations that includes China, India and Brazil.
“We’re going to be doing secondary tariffs if we don’t have a [Russia-Ukraine peace] deal within 50 days,” Trump said during a meeting Monday with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. “Secondary tariffs are very, very powerful.”
