May 21, 2025 - Politics & Policy
Exclusive: Shaheen says Putin "playing" Trump "like a fiddle"
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Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) said Russian President Vladimir Putin is playing President Trump "like a fiddle," at an Axios event Wednesday.
Why it matters: Bipartisan pressure is growing in the Senate for the White House to give lawmakers the green light to pass a new package of sanctions against Moscow.
- "We need to make it very clear to Vladimir Putin that we are going to increase the pressure on Russia, to get them to the table to resolve the war in Ukraine," Shaheen told Axios's Hans Nichols at Axios' Building The Future event on Wednesday.
- A bipartisan bill in the Senate to impose new sanctions on Russia has picked up 81 co-sponsors, a rare feat. But Republican leaders are waiting on the White House to endorse the measure.
- A call between Trump and Putin this week ended without a ceasefire.
The big picture: Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, made it clear that she doesn't think Trump is being tough enough on Putin.
- "Right now, what Putin is doing is playing President Trump," Shaheen said. "He keeps extending the time because he sees time as being on the side of Russia."
- Shaheen pointed out that the co-sponsors of the sanctions bill are about evenly split between Republicans and Democrats, underscoring the bipartisan desire for the White House to act.
- "Patience has run out," she said.
Go deeper: Trump's deference to Putin stunned European leaders on call
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.
