President Trump and Congress are threatening harsh sanctions against Moscow for its three-year war in Ukraine, with Republican lawmakers feeling more confident about passing sanctions legislation this month after Trump sharply criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin this week.
Trump has at times vilified Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and praised Putin, only to reverse his rhetoric on the two leaders. This week, the president stepped up his criticism of the Russian leader, accusing him of pushing "bulls---" and characterizing his warm words as "meaningless."
Putin brushed aside Trump's ramped-up rhetoric and is pushing ahead with renewed intensity in his assault on Ukraine, launching a record drone attack on various regions in the country. The Russian leader is convinced that Moscow's battlefield superiority is growing, and that Kyiv's defenses may collapse in the coming months, The New York Times reports.
Zelensky is meeting in Rome today with European politicians, business leaders and American officials for the fourth annual conference on rebuilding Ukraine, seeking to shore up further support from allies.
Back in Washington, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said he hopes the Senate passes legislation to place tough sanctions on Russia by the August recess.
The bipartisan proposal is sponsored by Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.). It would impose primary and secondary sanctions on Russia and countries that purchase Russian oil, gas, uranium and other products, as well as a 500 percent tariff on imported goods from any countries that purchase sanctioned Russian products.
Graham — who said the bill could make it to the floor as early as next week — said the legislation would give Trump "a waiver" to exempt certain imports and exports from sanctions.
"The real focus of the bill is to hit the customers of Putin. China and India buy 70 percent of Russian oil and gas and other petroleum products," he said. "I've always believed the way this war ends is when China goes to Putin and says, 'Enough already, you're hurting us now.'"
▪ The Hill: Ukraine's ambassador to the U.S. is departing at the conclusion of her four-year term as Zelensky looks to reshape relationships in Washington.
▪ Politico: As support builds behind bipartisan sanctions, the White House is seeking changes to the bill that would expand the president's control.
Over in the House, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Wednesday left the door open to holding a vote on the bill. Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) on Wednesday accused Trump's administration of kowtowing to Putin rather than standing up for Ukraine, suggesting the support for Kyiv is coming too late in the multi-year war.
"There's strong bipartisan support for sanctions against Vladimir Putin and Russia, and it's unfortunate that the Trump administration has spent months playing footsie with Vladimir Putin, and some would suggest bending the knee to an enemy of this country," Jeffries told CNN's Wolf Blitzer.
Jeffries also pressed Trump to fire Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after the Pentagon paused some weapons transfers to Ukraine last week amid reviews of U.S. military stockpiles. The block was later lifted at Trump's direction, and the president said the deliveries were necessary for Kyiv to defend itself.
The backtracking revealed chasms within the White House, The Hill's Ellen Mitchell reports. Trump said Tuesday he didn't know who approved the weapons pause, of which CNN reports Hegseth didn't inform the White House before he authorized it.
The original decision to hold off on the weapons to Kyiv was reportedly largely driven by Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby, a close ally to Vice President Vance, and signed off on by Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg after it was discovered that the U.S. only has about 25 percent of the Patriot interceptors needed for all Defense Department military plans.
"We're really starting to see the strains of the limits of the coordination amongst the White House, the Pentagon and the State Department," said Heather Conley, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.
▪ The Hill: Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said Wednesday he would not vote in favor of Hegseth's confirmation now.
▪ CNN: Trump said he threatened to bomb Moscow if Putin attacked Ukraine, 2024 fundraiser tapes show.
As tensions ratchet up between Moscow and Washington, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Malaysia today on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit.
MEANWHILE: The White House appears to be making progress toward brokering a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
Senior U.S., Israeli and Qatari officials held talks at the White House on Tuesday that focused on the key remaining sticking point for a long-sought ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza, Axios reports.
Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu twice this week as he presses both Israel and Hamas to finalize a deal. White House envoy Steve Witkoff said Tuesday that the majority of disagreements had been resolved between the parties. BBC reports key sticking points include how aid would be distributed during the ceasefire and Israeli troop withdrawals during the 60-day truce.
Amid the negotiations, Trump and Netanyahu are at a pivotal point in their relationship, write The Hill's Alex Gangitano and Laura Kelly. Even when the two leaders have diverged in private, they have usually remained publicly in lockstep — apart from Trump dropping an f-bomb last month during the shaky start of the Israel-Iran ceasefire.
▪ The Hill: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said Wednesday she will move to stop additional aid to Israel.
▪ The Hill: Rubio accused U.N. Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese of leading "political and economic warfare" against the U.S. and Israel.
▪ Haaretz: Netanyahu supports a plan to concentrate the entire population of Gaza in a "humanitarian city" to be established on the ruins of Rafah.
But as Trump turns his attention to ending the fighting in Gaza, Netanyahu risks drawing the president's ire once again.
"The president gets frustrated because he wants this victory of having brought peace," said Elliott Abrams, U.S. special representative for Iran during Trump's first term. "I think when it comes to Gaza, he recognizes that the problem is Hamas. So it's frustrating to him that he can't get the hostages out and get a ceasefire, but he's not blaming Netanyahu."
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