US lawmakers to seek adding Russia sanctions to funding bill

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By Timothy Gardner

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Two U.S. lawmakers sponsoring a bill to impose tough sanctions on Russia over its war on Ukraine said on Saturday they will urge fellow lawmakers this week to tie their bill to must-pass legislation on keeping the federal government operating.

Senator Lindsey Graham and U.S. Representative Brian Fitzpatrick, both Republicans, have sponsored legislation for months to impose the measures on Moscow it if refuses to negotiate a peace deal with Ukraine. The measures include secondary sanctions on India and China for buying Russian oil.

Leaders in the Senate and House of Representatives have held off bringing the legislation to a vote, as President Donald Trump has been hesitant to impose sanctions on Russia. Trump has preferred instead to pile tariffs on goods coming to the U.S. from India, the world’s second leading buyer of Russian oil, after China.

The must-pass funding bill, known as a continuing resolution, or a CR, could offer the sponsors a way to get the bill passed.

“This week, we will be urging our colleagues, on both sides of the aisle, to join us in advancing this legislation and standing with freedom against tyranny,” Graham and Fitzpatrick said in a release. “Time is of the essence.”

The lawmakers praised Trump for saying on Saturday that the U.S. was prepared to impose fresh energy sanctions on Russia but only if all NATO countries cease buying Russian oil and implement similar measures.

“We firmly believe the combination of sanctions and tariffs, along with the sale of high-end American weapons to Ukraine, is the key to bringing Putin to the table for a just and honorable peace,” they said.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the lawmakers saying they would seek to get the sanctions in the CR.

(Reporting by Timothy Gardner; additional reporting by Jarrett Renshaw; Editing by David Gregorio)