Trump urges Senate to postpone vote on Russia sanctions bill

U.S. President Donald Trump has asked the Senate to delay voting on a bipartisan Russia sanctions bill, Senator Roger Wicker said on June 4.

“I know that he (Trump) asked the leader (Senate Majority Leader John Thune) not to bring the bill to a vote this week,” Wicker told reporters.

The bill, introduced on April 1 by Senators Lindsey Graham (R) and Richard Blumenthal (D), seeks to impose a 500% tariff on imports from countries that continue purchasing Russian oil and raw materials.

Its aim is to tighten economic pressure on Russia and discourage third-party nations from enabling the Kremlin’s energy exports.

The legislation currently has broad bipartisan support, with 82 out of 100 U.S. senators backing it. U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson also voiced his support for the bill.

Previously, Trump said he had not yet imposed new sanctions on Russia because he believed a peace deal might be within reach.

“If I think I’m close to getting a deal, I don’t want to screw it up by doing that,” he said on May 28, but added he is prepared to act if Moscow stalls further.

The Senate was expected to begin considering the bill this week, prior to the request made by Trump.

European leaders shift focus to defending Ukraine without US support, the Telegraph reports

According to the Telegraph, senior European diplomats meeting in The Hague agreed to shift their focus from deploying troops to enforce a ceasefire to preparing long-term strategies for supporting Ukraine without American backing.

The Kyiv IndependentAnna Fratsyvir