The Kremlin said on Monday that it had taken note of comments made by U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham who is sponsoring a tough new sanctions bill on Russia and that its backers should consider its impact on efforts to reach a peace deal on Ukraine.
Graham said in an interview with ABC News on Sunday that President Donald Trump had told him that the sanctions bill – which would impose 500% tariffs on countries like China and India that buy Russian oil – should be brought forward for a vote.
Graham called Trump’s decision “a big breakthrough” which he said was part of efforts to bring Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table on Ukraine and give Trump “a tool” to bring that about.
He stressed however that Trump had a waiver and could decide whether or not to sign it into law if and when it passes Congress.
Asked about Graham’s comments, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that Russia was aware of the U.S. senator’s stance and had taken note of his statement.
“The senator’s views are well known to us, they are well known to the whole world. He belongs to a group of inveterate Russophobes. If it were up to him, these sanctions would have been imposed long ago,” said Peskov.
“Would that have helped the (Ukraine) settlement (process)? That is a question that those who initiate such events should ask themselves.”
(Reporting by Dmitry Antonov Writing by Andrew Osborn Editing by Guy Faulconbridge)