US Senate halts sweeping Russia sanctions as Democrats question tariff powers

The US Senate has temporarily halted consideration of a major bipartisan Russia sanctions package with Republicans unexpectedly benefiting from a small but influential bloc of Democratic hesitation.

The legislative pause comes as President Donald Trump’s negotiator, Steve Witkoff, prepares for a planned trip to Moscow, underscoring how diplomacy, rather than Congress, is currently driving US foreign-policy decisions, Kyiv Post reports.

“At least at the moment, the pause button has been pressed,” a senior Republican aide confirmed, describing the bill as effectively stalled.

The proposed legislation, which has yet to reach the Senate floor, would codify existing sanctions on Russia while imposing tariffs of up to 500 percent on imports from third countries—such as China, India, and Iran—that continue purchasing Russian energy while offering minimal support to Ukraine.

“If there is a single force slowing the bill’s momentum, it is the same one shaping nearly every foreign-policy decision in Washington: the President’s mood,” Republicans note. Trump provided a tentative “OK with me” two weeks ago, but party leaders remain cautious about advancing a high-stakes sanctions package without a sustained, unequivocal endorsement.

“You don’t want to bring this to the floor only to have the President blast it and undercut the leverage it’s supposed to create,” a Republican aide said. 

The bill, led by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), boasts 85 co-sponsors—a remarkable bipartisan coalition. Graham had said last week that the Senate was “on the threshold of passing this bill,” but that threshold now appears further away.

Complicating matters, at least three Democrats are privately questioning the bill’s structure—not over its sanctions against Russia, but over granting the President broad new trade authority.

“The concern isn’t the sanctions on Russia; it’s the blank check for tariffs on third countries,” a Democratic aide said, noting that the proposed tariff powers “read like something no Congress would give any President right now.” Among the skeptics is Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO), a co-sponsor who has quietly voiced reservations, leaving sanctions advocates unsettled.

In the House, Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) is attempting to force action through a discharge petition, but faces stiff resistance from Democrats including Representatives Gregory Meeks (D-NY), Richard Neal (D-MA), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), and Mike Quigley (D-IL), who are reportedly being “leaned into,” according to sources familiar with the whip count.

“One House Democrat put it bluntly: ‘There’s a real concern this is less about Russia policy and more about giving the President a trade weapon he can’t be trusted not to swing wildly.’”

The uncertainty surrounding the bill reflects the delicate geopolitical balancing act facing the White House: maintaining pressure on Moscow while pursuing potential peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.

“There’s no version of this where we undercut the administration mid-talks,” a senior Democrat said. “But there’s also no version where we hand over unchecked tariff power.”

With bipartisan support fraying, the President’s stance in flux, and Democrats questioning previously embraced tariff provisions, one of Washington’s most significant bipartisan initiatives has been placed firmly on ice. As lawmakers await signals from Moscow, the White House, and each other, the sanctions package has become a rare legislative effort that enjoys widespread theoretical support—but few are willing to advance in practice.

By Vafa Guliyeva