US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that Republican lawmakers were drafting legislation that would impose sanctions on any country that does business with Russia, adding that the measure could also include Iran.
"As you know, I proposed it, so any country that does business with Russia will be subject to very heavy sanctions," the US president told reporters. "They may add Iran to that," he added.
The bill would allow Trump to impose tariffs of up to 500% on imports from countries that buy Russian energy products and do not actively support Ukraine. This specifically targets major consumers of Russian energy, such as China and India.
Democrats and some Republicans in Congress have pushed for legislation that would punish Russia for its ongoing war in Ukraine. Trump has been reluctant to support it as he tries to bring Russian President Vladimir Putin to peace talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Putin shows no sign of easing up on his military campaign after nearly four years of war in Ukraine, with Trump failing to convince Putin even after hosting the Russian leader for a summit in Alaska.
While Ukraine is increasingly striking Russian oil targets, Russia has intensified its airstrikes in Ukraine and is pushing to capture the Pokrovsk railway hub.
