Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Wednesday left the door open to holding a vote on a bill to sanction Russia over its years-long battle against Ukraine.
His comments came shortly after Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) indicated the Senate could vote on a Russia sanctions bill led by Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) by the end of the month, and after President Trump said on Tuesday that he was looking at the legislation “very strongly.”
“I don’t know any details yet but I know there’s an interest in that in the House side, so we’ll have to see,” Johnson told reporters in the Capitol when asked about the Senate bill.
“Vladimir Putin has shown an unwillingness to be reasonable and to talk seriously about brokering a peace, and I think we have to send them a message, that’s my view,” he added.
Johnson had previously backed penalizing Russia as the conflict drags on, telling reporters last month: “There’s many members of Congress that want us to sanction Russia as strongly as we can … and I’m an advocate of that.”
But his comments on Wednesday put the Senate’s bill, which is veto-proof with more than 80 co-sponsors, on a potential path to President Trump’s desk.
Thune on Wednesday said the upper chamber has made “substantial progress” on the Russia sanctions bill, adding that it could be ready to hit the floor in the coming weeks.
“We’ve also made substantial progress on Graham’s overwhelmingly bipartisan Russia sanctions legislation to enhance President Trump’s leverage at the negotiating table and to help end the bloodshed in Ukraine,” Thune said on the Senate floor. “And Mr. President, I fully expect that that could be ready for floor consideration as early as this work period.”
“Senate Republicans are committed to working with the House and the White House to get this legislation through Congress and on to the president’s desk,” he added.
Discussion about passing the sanctions bill is heating up as Trump becomes increasingly annoyed with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Last week, he said he was “very disappointed” with a conversation he had with Moscow’s leader, adding: “I don’t think he’s there.”
“I’m just saying, I don’t think he’s looking to stop, and that’s too bad,” Trump said.
Trump for months has sought to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine to no avail.
On Tuesday, he reversed a decision by the Pentagon last week to pause some arms shipments to Ukraine, saying he wanted to arm Kyiv with “defensive weapons because Putin is not treating human beings right.” He also said he did not know who at the Pentagon decided on the pause.
Graham said the Senate bill includes a presidential waiver, which would give Trump more authority over the sanctions. He also noted that the Senate will look to penalize China, India and other countries “that buy Russian energy products that finance Putin’s war machine.”
Support for Ukraine has been a prickly subject in the House GOP conference since Moscow launched its offensive in February 2022, with a number of hard-line conservatives vocally against sending additional money and support to Kyiv.
In April 2024, however, Johnson oversaw the passage of roughly $61 billion in aid for Ukraine, a move that was celebrated by Kyiv’s supporters in both parties.
