Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., on Thursday warned of additional sanctions against Russia "to force Putin to start negotiating" an end to Russia's war in Ukraine.
Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., are sponsoring a bill that would hit Russia with more economic sanctions if Russian President Vladimir Putin refuses good-faith negotiations or launches another attack after a peace deal is reached, according to Axios.
"For the last four months, President Trump has gone to extraordinary lengths to bring an end to the bloodshed in Ukraine, and we here in the Senate commend him for those efforts," Thune said on the Senate floor.
"Now the ball is in Putin's court. It's time for him to come to the table in good faith and make a serious proposal for an immediate ceasefire that can lead to a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. ... I hope he realizes it's time to do so.
"If not, the Senate stands ready to act. Thanks to the dogged work of Senator Graham, we have bipartisan legislation – cosponsored by 80 of my colleagues – to impose additional economic sanctions and tariffs on Russia.
"If Russia is not willing to engage in serious diplomacy, the Senate will work with the Trump administration to consider additional sanctions to force Putin to start negotiating."
Thune and other Republican lawmakers are urging President Donald Trump to take a tougher stance against Putin on ending the war in Ukraine.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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