Senators Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut traveled to Kyiv on Friday to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and discuss their latest legislative initiative aimed at ramping up pressure on Russia through sweeping new sanctions. The two lawmakers are pushing a bipartisan bill designed to punish Moscow if it continues to evade meaningful peace negotiations.
The proposed legislation, introduced last week, threatens to enforce harsh penalties on Russia and those who facilitate its war efforts in Ukraine. One of the central components of the bill is a massive 500% tariff on imports from nations that purchase Russian energy, including oil, gas, and uranium, as well as other key commodities.
“We understand that Russia is trying to turn diplomacy into a farce,” Zelenskyy said, The New Voice of Ukraine reported. “It hides behind talks while planning fresh offensive operations on the front, striking our towns and villages daily and rejecting any ceasefire proposals. That’s why additional pressure is necessary.”
A corresponding measure in the House of Representatives was introduced by Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania. Like its Senate counterpart, the bill has received broad bipartisan backing. Fitzpatrick, who is part of the congressional Ukraine Caucus along with Graham and Blumenthal’s membership in the Senate version, previously met with Zelenskyy in Kyiv this past April.
“Enough of talking, it’s time to act,” Graham told reporters, according to Bloomberg. “I would expect next week that the Senate will start moving the sanctions bill. There are House members that are ready to move in the House, and you will see congressional action.”
During their visit, the senators commended Ukraine for standing firm in the face of Russian assaults. Zelenskyy, in turn, voiced his gratitude for their leadership on the sanctions initiative.
“I appreciate this initiative — a bipartisan sanctions bill now supported by 82 senators,” said Zelenskyy, who also expressed gratitude to the American people and to President Donald Trump for his efforts to end the conflict. “We discussed this and other measures to force Russia toward peace, and we will continue working on this together.”
In a press release, Zelenskyy’s office stated that Graham and Blumenthal also visited the scene of a deadly missile attack in Kyiv on April 24, which left 13 dead and over 90 injured. The strike, one of the deadliest since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022, prompted President Trump to issue a strong rebuke to Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling on him via Truth Social to “STOP!” and pursue peace.
“I’m determined that we will pass the Russian sanctions bill, now with 82 co-sponsors evenly bipartisan divided, and move forward to send a message to Putin: It’s crunch time,” Blumenthal said in a video from Kyiv posted Friday on his X account. “Show up and put up or you will be hit by bone-crushing sanctions, and more military aid for Ukraine, which we have an obligation to provide.”
The leaders also reviewed the status of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine held in Istanbul. Thus far, the only tangible result has been a prisoner exchange, The New Voice of Ukraine reported. Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukraine remains willing to pursue dialogue, but said that Russia has failed to submit an agenda for the upcoming round of negotiations scheduled for Monday.
Despite the upcoming talks, Russian officials reportedly indicated on Friday that President Putin would not be participating in the next meeting.

{Matzav.com}