Republican Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul is coming out swinging against bipartisan legislation to impose massive sanctions on Russia and its trading partners, calling the effort “the most ill-conceived bill I have ever seen in my life.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune signaled Monday that the upper chamber may take up new Russia sanctions legislation in June following more than 80 senators signing onto the legislation. Paul, a libertarian-leaning senator who frequently breaks with his more hawkish Republican colleagues on foreign policy, argued the bill would have devastating consequences for global trade by effectively creating a worldwide economic embargo on the dozens of countries who buy Russian oil and natural gas. (RELATED: ‘Game Over’: Senate GOP Readies Sanction Push To Force Russia To Negotiating Table With Ukraine)
Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham and Democratic Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal, introduced the sanctions legislation in April in an effort to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin to engage in peace talks with Ukraine.
Graham, who is well known for his hawkish views on foreign policy, has labeled the sanction legislation “bone-crushing” and “the most draconian bill I have ever seen in my life” on Russia and its trading partners. The legislation would impose 500% tariffs on dozens of countries — including China and India — who buy Russian oil, gas and other exports. It also requires the tariff rate on goods from certain Russian trading partners imported into the United States to also double every 90 days.
US Senators Lindsey Graham (R) and Richard Blumenthal speak on Mykhailivska Square during a press conference in Kyiv on May 30, 2025, amid the Russia-Ukraine War. (Photo by Tetiana DZHAFAROVA / AFP) (Photo by TETIANA DZHAFAROVA/AFP via Getty Images)
“People who think tariffs are disruptive, can you imagine a 500% tariff on 36 countries? Paul told reporters Monday. “If they don’t [stop trading with Russia], basically we’re at war with these countries. A 500% tariff is war. It’s an economic war with a country. It is literally the most ill-conceived bill I’ve ever seen in Washington.”
“I can’t believe it’s 82 people on it,” Paul added, referring to the number of senators who introduced or are cosponsoring the legislation. “They’re not thinking through what would happen with this. This would shut down all trade in the world unless they immediately bent the knee to America and said, ‘We are not buying Russian oil.’”
Thune has defended slapping new sanctions on Russia after peace talks between the country and Ukraine have thus far stalled despite President Donald Trump’s efforts to broker an end to the war. The Senate Majority Leader has echoed many of his colleague’s views that Putin is not seeking peace with Ukraine, but preparing for a new offensive that could come later this year.
Ukraine notably carried out a covert large-scale drone attack deep inside Russia on Sunday. The attack damaged Russian military aircraft across five time zones.
“President Trump has invested considerable time in working to end the bloodshed in Ukraine, but Vladimir Putin appears more interested in prolonging the war than in pursuing peace,” Thune said on the Senate floor Monday.
Thune also cautioned that despite Graham and other senators’ pressure for Senate GOP leadership to take up the legislation this week he may wait for the president’s sign-off before moving forward. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said Monday that Thune should have the Senate vote on the legislation “as soon as possible.”
“They’re [the White House] still hopeful that they’ll be able to strike some sort of a deal,” Thune told reporters Monday. “But as you might expect, there’s a high level of interest here in the Senate — on both sides of the aisle — in moving on it, and it very well could be something that we take up in this work period.”
“President Trump has smartly kept sanctions on the table, and while he remains in constant communication with leaders on the Hill, the decision on whether to impose sanctions will come from the Commander in Chief,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement obtained by Semafor.
Graham and Blumenthal visited Ukraine during the Memorial Day recess where they discussed slapping new sanctions on Russia with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an effort to pressure Russia to agree to a peace deal.
“The world has a lot of cards to play against Putin,” Graham told the AP Monday. “We’re going to hit China and India for propping up his war machine.”
Though Speaker Mike Johnson has not directly commented on the House companion introduced by Republican Pennsylvania Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, he told reporters Monday that he is supportive of imposing new sanctions on Russia.
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