Politico reported Republican Senator James Lankford told President Zelenskiy in Kyiv he could not guarantee Congress would soon approve a new round of sanctions on Russia; Zelenskiy urged expedited consideration. Lankford said he is skeptical a Moscow-Kyiv deal is likely but called CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s recent secret visit to Russia potentially productive. The Senate earlier passed a bill drafted with the late Sen. Lindsey Graham that would impose 100% tariffs on the five largest buyers

Politico reported Republican Senator James Lankford told President Zelenskiy in Kyiv he could not guarantee Congress would soon approve a new round of sanctions on Russia; Zelenskiy urged expedited consideration. Lankford said he is skeptical a Moscow-Kyiv deal is likely but called CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s recent secret visit to Russia potentially productive. The Senate earlier passed a bill drafted with the late Sen. Lindsey Graham that would impose 100% tariffs on the five largest buyers of Russian energy and 500% tariffs on all Russian goods exported to the US; the measure has been sent to the House, which is in recess until Aug. 31 and is not expected to consider it before September.