WASHINGTON DC – 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.
Bill shelved ahead of Moscow diplomacy
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.
Trump’s shadow directs the Senate
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.
Trump offered a coy “OK with me” two weeks ago, but Repulican leaders remain wary of advancing a high-stakes sanctions package without a sustained, unmistakable green light.
“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, spearheaded by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), boasts 85 co-sponsors – a staggering bipartisan show of force.
Graham said last week that the Senate was “on the threshold of passing this bill.” As of today, that threshold appears farther away than ever.
Democrats’ tariff fight: An unexpected lifeline
But Republicans aren’t the only ones tapping the brakes. In a twist few on Capitol Hill saw coming, at least three Democrats are privately agitating against the bill’s current structure.
Their objection isn’t to punishing Russia – it’s to empowering the President with sweeping new trade authority.
“The concern isn’t the sanctions on Russia; it’s the blank check for tariffs on third countries,” a Democratic aide told Kyiv Post, noting that the tariff authority “reads like something no Congress would give any President right now.”
While some sources previously suggested Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) had raised concerns, Bennet’s office firmly rejected that characterization.
A spokesperson clarified that the Senator “has not personally raised any concerns about the bill or advocated against it.”
“He continues to strongly support measures to aid Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s unrelenting aggression – such as by imposing additional sanctions on Russia, leveraging Russian sovereign assets, and ramping up the pace of weapons deliveries to Ukraine,” the spokesperson told Kyiv Post, adding that Bennet’s team is still reviewing the evolving text as Senators Blumenthal and Graham continue refining the legislation.
House Democrats face their own crosswinds
Across the Capitol, Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) is attempting to force action by preparing a discharge petition – the legislative equivalent of breaking the emergency glass.
But resistance from his Democratic counterparts is stiff. Key members – including Representatives Gregory Meeks (D-NY), Richard Neal (D-MA), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), and Mike Quigley (D-IL) – are reportedly being “leaned into,” according to two people familiar with the whip count.
One House Democrat, speaking exclusively to Kyiv Post, 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.”
Diplomacy first – for now
The hesitation reflects the delicate geopolitical balancing act underway at the White House: keep pressure on Moscow while sprinting to finalize a potential peace deal between Moscow and Kyiv.
And for now, lawmakers in both parties appear reluctant to act on sanctions while negotiations remain in flux.
“There’s no version of this where we undercut the administration mid-talks,” one senior Democrat said. “But there’s also no version where we hand over unchecked tariff power.”
With the bill’s broad coalition fraying, Trump’s stance shifting, and Democrats openly questioning the tariff provisions they once embraced, one of Washington’s largest bipartisan efforts has been placed firmly on ice.
And as lawmakers wait for signals from Moscow, the White House, and each other, the sanctions package has become the rare Washington powerhouse bill that everyone supports in theory – and few are willing to touch in practice.