WASHINGTON DC – A conservative faction of Congressional Republicans is advocating for a sweeping overhaul of America’s sanctions policy against Russia, aiming to deliver a “crushing blow” to the Kremlin’s war machine while simultaneously granting President Donald Trump the flexibility to pursue his “Peace Through Strength” agenda.
The Republican Study Committee (RSC), a leading conservative caucus, is at the forefront of this push.
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In a recent letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune, RSC National Security Task Force Chair Zach Nunn (R-IA) and RSC Chairman August Pfluger (R-TX) asserted that Russia poses an “immediate and escalating threat” to US national security.
They contend that Vladimir Putin’s aggression is destabilizing global markets and emboldening America’s adversaries.
Pfluger on Wednesday lauded Trump’s past diplomatic successes, stating he has “proven his unparalleled ability to broker peace and deliver stability to the war-torn corners of the world.”
He urged Congress to “stand with the President as he works to secure peace and uphold American strength abroad,” insisting that any future Russia sanctions package “be crafted to give the President the tools he needs to degrade the Russian war machine with the flexibility he rightfully deserves to maximize his leverage.”
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Nunn echoed these sentiments, stating: “President Trump just put Putin on the clock. Now it’s up to Congress to deliver the tools needed to hit the Russian war machine if he refuses to come to the table.”
He said that the proposed sanctions would provide the President with “real leverage to protect US interests, support our allies, and force Russia to end its aggression.”
Trump’s latest warning: India and Russia’s ‘dead economies’
Adding a fresh layer to the administration’s pressure campaign, Trump Thursday morning took to his Truth Social platform, issuing a stark warning to both India and Russia.
In a post, he declared: “I don’t care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care.”
Trump linked new 25 percent tariffs on Indian goods, along with an unspecified “penalty,” to India’s continued purchase of Russian oil and military equipment. Trump wrote:
“Remember, while India is our friend, we have, over the years, done relatively little business with them because their Tariffs are far too high, among the highest in the World, and they have the most strenuous and obnoxious non-monetary Trade Barriers of any Country.”
Trump added: “Also, they have always bought a vast majority of their military equipment from Russia, and are Russia’s largest buyer of energy, along with China, at a time when everyone wants Russia to stop the killing in Ukraine – all things not good!”
Trump further issued a direct warning to former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, stating, “Likewise, Russia and the USA do almost no business together. Let’s keep it that way, and tell Medvedev, the failed former President of Russia who thinks he’s still President, to watch his words. He’s entering very dangerous territory!”
This comes after Medvedev reportedly described Trump’s approach as “the ultimatum game,” warning it could lead to war.
Radical shift in sanctions strategy proposed
The RSC’s letter, co-signed by Mr. Pfluger, Mr. Nunn, and other RSC members, proposes a dramatic shift from the current targeted, conduct-based sanctions to a far more comprehensive, economy-wide regime.
This includes granting Trump extensive authority to use future sanctions as a strategic tool for negotiations, implementing a total freeze on all Russian government assets and transactions in the US (mirroring measures applied to “rogue regimes”), and imposing secondary sanctions on Chinese and North Korean entities supporting the Russian war effort.
Furthermore, the proposals target Russia’s “shadow fleet” of tankers, introduce a mechanism to gradually reduce the oil price cap to zero, and sanction foreign individuals and entities aiding Russian theft in Ukraine or supporting its financial systems, alongside those involved in Russian “gray zone activities” against the US and allied nations.
The RSC also demands an acknowledgment of what it calls the “failures of the Obama administration and the Biden administration” in deterring Russian aggression, arguing that Ukraine suffered its greatest territorial losses under their watch.
The RSC’s initiative aligns with its espoused commitment to forging a “strong, conservative foreign policy agenda that puts America First and promotes our long term national security.”
They conclude that Congress “must rise to the occasion with a sanctions framework regime that compliments this vision,” arguing that “an arsenal of targeted, devastating, and comprehensive sanctions against the Russian regime will give the President substantial leverage” if “crafted correctly.”