Supporters of Ukraine demonstrate outside the U.S. Capitol ahead of President Trump's address to a Joint Session of Congress on March 4. Photo by Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images
GOP leaders are making fresh noise about moving forward with sanctions on Russia following Ukraine's unprecedented drone strikes deep inside Russia this past weekend.
Why it matters: As we told you last Monday, Senate Republicans are seizing on President Trump's growing frustration with Vladimir Putin to unstick fresh penalties against Moscow.
Thune said Monday that senators "stand ready to provide President Trump with any tools he needs to get Russia to finally come to the table in a real way" and that the chamber could vote this month on a broadly bipartisan sanctions bill.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) told reporters he'd not discussed the issue with Trump but "there are many members of Congress that want us to sanction Russia as strongly as we can, and I'm an advocate of that."
What to watch: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal's (D-Conn.) bill to hit Russia with economic sanctions if Putin refuses to negotiate with Ukraine — or if Russia launches another attack after a peace deal is reached — has more than 80 co-sponsors.
