Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., declared Thursday that the Senate will soon act on a sweeping sanctions bill targeting Russia, as President Donald Trump confirmed plans to meet his Russian counterpart in Budapest following a “productive” call.
Thune told reporters the legislation, which has gathered overwhelming bipartisan support, would be brought to the floor “soon,” likely within the next 30 days, though he declined to commit to a firm deadline.
The House remains out of session amid a protracted government shutdown, leaving Senate action as the immediate vehicle for renewed pressure on Moscow.
“A lot of senators have been pushing for a vote,” Thune said. “The time has come.”
His remarks followed an announcement from the White House that Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin had agreed to a future meeting in Hungary.
In a social media post, the president described the call as “greatly productive” and said he and Putin “agreed to meet in Budapest in the near future.”
The announcement came just one day before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scheduled to meet with Trump at the White House, further heightening the diplomatic stakes.
The legislation at issue is the Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025, introduced in April by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., which has already picked up more than 80 cosponsors. A companion bill in the House has similarly earned support from over 100 members.
Under the current proposal, any country that continues to import oil, gas, or uranium from Russia would face punitive tariffs of 500%.
However, the bill has been modified to include a presidential waiver in cases of national security, though that waiver would not be absolute.
Democratic co-sponsor Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., has defended the sanctions as “scorching” and “bone-crushing,” while emphasizing limits on presidential exemptions.
The path to a vote, however, has not been smooth.
Earlier in the year, efforts stagnated in part because of U.S. involvement in the Israel–Iran conflict, which diverted attention and political capital.
The White House also requested changes to give the president greater flexibility in adjusting or waiving sanctions, delaying momentum.
In July, Trump threatened 100% tariffs on nations trading with Russia if it did not agree to a ceasefire, further complicating negotiations on the bill’s text.
Earlier this summer, Graham and Blumenthal intensified pressure, including advocacy trips to Kyiv, to galvanize support for immediate action.
Still, some lawmakers held off on advancing the measure until they received explicit concurrence from the White House.
Thune said Thursday that technical issues remain, particularly around implementation and waiver authorities, but that he and Graham remain in close coordination.
He declined to spell out how the updated version might differ from the current draft, only saying it would reflect “the same basic premise.”
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.