WASHINGTON – Following a recent congressional delegation visit to Ukraine, a senior Republican expressed increased optimism about the country’s potential to succeed in the war with adequate backing from the U.S. and allies, urging Congress to promptly advance a delayed Russia sanctions bill.
Rep. Michael Turner of Ohio, serving on the House Armed Services Committee and leading the bipartisan visit to Ukraine, Poland, and Germany, is calling for Speaker Mike Johnson to prioritize a vote on a broadly supported sanctions proposal. This measure aims to impose steep tariffs on nations purchasing Russia’s oil, gas, and other exports to restrict the financial resources fueling its industrial output and military capabilities.
Turner noted that President Donald Trump’s perspective is correct: Ukraine can reclaim territory from Russia “with the right support — and that’s the caveat.”
“What you see on the ground in Ukraine is this really is an issue of math,” Turner said at a briefing in Washington.
“Russia’s economy is enabling the production of war weapons, leading to the lethal battlefield in Ukraine,” he stated. “Impacting this requires shutting down the economic flow fueling Russia — that will affect their capacity to wage war in Ukraine.”
The push from this senior Republican lends renewed momentum to the sanctions bill, which has been stalled for months on Capitol Hill, awaiting approval from the Trump administration despite broad backing. The bill has gathered endorsements from nearly all senators and a substantial number of House members, illustrating a rare instance of bipartisan unity in the U.S. Congress.
The proposed legislation would enact severe sanctions, with tariffs reaching up to 500% on goods from countries like China and India that buy Russia’s oil, gas, and exports. However, some leaders, including Hungary’s Viktor Orban, have expressed opposition, with Orban stating on Friday that foregoing Russian energy would be a “disaster” for his country’s economy.
Speaker Johnson’s office did not immediately provide a comment on Turner’s request.
Turner said the view from Ukraine was far different than a recent Armed Services briefing he received in Washington, which was “much more dire.”
“Having been in Ukraine, it is clear that Ukrainian ingenuity, their resilience, their tenacity is holding, and that Russia is not being successful,” he said.
Trump, he said, is correct that Ukraine can win back ground in the war.
“With our appropriate support, including economic sanctions, I believe that Russia will not be successful,” he said.
In the letter to Johnson, Turner also made it clear that he believes Putin won’t stop at Ukraine.
“What I witnessed made clear that Russia’s war is not confined to Ukraine — it is a direct threat to NATO itself,” he wrote to the speaker.
“Putin’s ambitions extend well beyond Ukraine’s borders, and his regime has shown it will stop at nothing to erode freedom, democracy, and the rule of law across Europe. There is no time to waste,” he wrote.
He said Russia’s recent drone incursions into Polish and Romanian airspace are not accidents — they are calculated provocations that strike at NATO territory and European security.
“Congress must act decisively to confront Russian aggression, deny Putin any further opportunity to destabilize our allies, and provide the President with the tools he needs to end this war.”
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