WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump is willing to sign a bill tightening sanctions against Russia as long as he retains ultimate decisi...
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump is willing to sign a bill tightening sanctions against Russia as long as he retains ultimate decision-making authority over any such measures, Reuters reported citing a senior White House official.
"It's always been important to the White House and the president that there's a carve-out in the sanctions package that ensures the president has the ultimate decision-making authority on the sanctions. So as long as that is included, I think the president would entertain signing the bill," the official said.
"He would sign it. He signaled that last night," the White House official reiterated, referring to the bill in question.
He noted that Trump effectively endorsed the legislative initiative on Sunday evening. The White House spokesperson stressed that negotiations between Russia and the United States to resolve the conflict in Ukraine are ongoing.
"We're definitely still working it. It just hasn't been the center of the news because we have so much going on," the official noted.
The bill in question was introduced in early April by a bipartisan group of Senate members. The primary sponsors were Senators Lindsey Graham (Republican-South Carolina, who is on Russia's list of terrorists and extremists) and Richard Blumenthal (Democrat-Connecticut). The initiative includes secondary sanctions against Russia's trading partners. The lawmakers' proposal included import duties of 500% on imports to the United States from countries that purchase oil, gas, uranium, and other goods from Russia.
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