The US Senate has hit pause on a sweeping, bipartisan Russia sanctions package – and this time, Republicans are getting an unexpected boost from a small but influential bloc of Democrats.
The legislative logjam, compounded by US President Donald Trump’s unpredictable posture, has effectively shelved a major foreign-policy initiative, according to congressional sources who spoke with
Kyiv Post.
For now, the brakes are firmly on. “At least at the moment, the pause button has been pressed,” a senior Republican aide told Kyiv Post, confirming the bill is effectively stalled.
That pause is no accident. A second person familiar with the private talks said the legislation is on ice until after a planned Moscow trip next week by Trump’s key negotiator, Steve Witkoff – a delay that underscores how diplomacy, not Congress, is steering the moment.
The bill, which has not yet reached the floor, would codify existing sanctions and levy tariffs of up to 500 percent on imports from third countries – such as China, India, Iran – that continue purchasing Russian energy while providing little support to Ukraine.
If there is a single force slowing the bill’s momentum, Republicans say, it is the same one shaping nearly every foreign-policy decision in Washington: the President’s mood.
