Trump says he'll use Graham bill's Russia sanctions 'if necessary'
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U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sept. 22 he would use tariff authorities granted to him by the new Russia sanctions bill if necessary to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
The legislation, spearheaded by the late Senator Lindsey Graham and signed by Trump last week, authorizes the president to impose tariffs of up to 100% on the top five countries buying Russian oil and gas, among other measures.
"Last week, in honor of Senator Lindsey Graham, I signed a powerful new law passed by Congress, providing me with enormous new tariff authorities," Trump said in his address at the U.N. General Assembly in New York.
"And, if necessary, I will have to use them. It's time to stop the killing," he told the audience that included Russian and Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelensky.
While Trump's U.N. address covered a broad range of topics, from Gaza and the war in Iran to artificial intelligence, he briefly touched on peace efforts in Ukraine.
"We're working very closely with the leaders of Russia and Ukraine, and we will get that one done," the U.S. president said, suggesting that a deal will come "more quickly than people understand."
The comments come hours before Trump's expected meeting with Zelensky, where the two leaders are set to discuss the possibility of a Russia-Ukraine pause in strikes against energy facilities and targets on the Black Sea.
Recent weeks saw Washington start a fresh push to broker an end to the war, an effort that hit a deadlock earlier this year amid Moscow's territorial demands and the U.S.-Iran war.
