Senator Lindsey Graham (Republican, South Carolina) said Tuesday that the U.S. Senate will “soon” consider a tough new package of sanctions against Russia, as well as against Russia's biggest oil and gas buyers, China and India. 

"President Donald Trump is absolutely right about the games Putin is up to. The Senate will soon pass tough sanctions legislation - not just against Russia, but against countries like China and India that buy Russian energy resources and fund Putin's war machine," Graham wrote on social media X.

According to the senator, the bill would provide the US president the right to suspend sanctions to preserve maximum maneuvering space. “It's time to change the rules of the game for Putin and everyone who supports his war,” Graham added.

The new bill, which was backed by more than 80 senators, would impose a 500 percent tariff on imports from any countries that buy Russian oil, gas and uranium.

Trump confirmed that he is considering Graham's initiative. According to him, “this war should never have started” and “we need to end it.” “We're getting a lot of empty promises from Putin, but it's all turning out to be meaningless,” Trump told reporters at a Cabinet meeting.

As the Senate notes, a vote on the bill could come as soon as the president formally approves it.