Dem
54
Ties
1
GOP
45
It now looks like Donald Trump has picked sides in the war between Russia and Ukraine: He is for Russia and against Ukraine. He wants Russia to win. Maybe then Russian President Vladimir Putin will let Trump build Trump Tower Moscow, the tallest building in Europe, with a golden penthouse at the top gifted to Putin. When questioned about whether he asked Elon Musk to reduce Ukraine's ability to use his satellite system, Starshield—something critical to Ukraine's ability send drones to their targets—Trump denied that there was a problem. Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, disagreed, saying there was a big problem with the satellite network.
The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 (PL 119-111) imposes various sanctions on Russia, but has an escape hatch. The sanctions can be waived if that is in the national interest—as determined by the president. And sure enough, the President has determined that buying diesel from Russia might help the Republicans in the midterms and keep the pinko commie Democrats from capturing Congress and investigating everyone associated with his regime. That would obviously be in the national interest. So late Friday, Trump signed an XO waiving the sanctions—despite a growing bipartisan chorus calling on him to increase the pressure on Russia, not decrease it. The XO is called "Implementing the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026." The way it "implements" it is by not sanctioning Russia and Iran. Clever, huh?
Maybe no. Trump often misses the forest for the trees. While he sees Russia as a friend, the vast majority of voters see Russia as America's enemy and they see Russia as the aggressor in the war in Ukraine. This puts Democrats in the position of attacking Trump for supporting a ruthless dictator and Godless communism and Republicans in the position of having to defend Trump's crush on Putin. That won't be easy.
There is bipartisan opposition to the XO. Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) tweeted: "Trump's latest surrender to Putin again betrays our Ukrainian partners and defies clear congressional intent of legislation designed to punish Russia for its illegal war of aggression." Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) tweeted: "These waivers have nothing to do with our national security, & everything to do with sucking up to Vladimir Putin. I hope my Republican colleagues will join me in condemning this craven, cowardly action."
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) did indeed join Blumenthal and tweeted: "It's unconscionable that this administration is capitulating to a Russian dictator who illegally invaded Ukraine and butchers innocent civilians every single day." Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) tweeted: "Lindsey would be appalled." Doug Heye, a former communications director for the RNC, unfavorably compared Trump's behavior to Ronald Reagan's unflinching anticommunism and hatred of Russia.
One senator who was definitely on the spot was Sen. Graham (R-SC). Not Lindsey, since he is dead, but his sister, Darline, who is running to finish out his term. Should she honor his memory and oppose the diesel deal, possibly angering Trump, or should she kowtow to him and give her opponent, Dr. Annie Andrews, some ammunition in a state not known for loving Godless communism? Saturday, she ever-so-gently came out against the diesel deal, but without mentioning the fact that maybe, just maybe, Trump had something to do with it. She said: "Personally, I would choose to keep the pressure on Russia to end the war and get the gas prices low, because I don't trust Putin and I don't trust Russia."
Some Congressional Republicans look like they really mean it. A number of them have warned Trump that no part of his legislative agenda—including an extra $350 billion for the Pentagon—will pass Congress in the mobility-challenged aquatic-bird session of Congress in December unless he relents and gets tough with Russia. If they really hold up the bills (or add provisions making sanctions mandatory with no escape clause) that will definitely get his attention. If a bill makes tough sanctions the law of the land and Trump then defies it, he is simply handing the Democrats an easy-for-voters-to-understand article of impeachment.
Oh, and there's one more thing. As a byproduct of waiving the sanctions on buyers of Russian oil, the waiver also helps China, which buys a lot of oil from Russia. So the model is Russia and China: good, NATO: bad. Got that? Also, it shows that no law has any meaning anymore, not even laws Trump himself signed not a month ago. Or as they say (or said) in France: "L'État, c'est moi."
The beleaguered Zelenskyy clearly sees the writing on the wall and hopes Europe will help him. He warned Friday that if Ukraine falls to Russia, as many as 20 million Ukrainians could seek refuge in other European countries, something the European countries definitely do not want. This could step up European aid to Ukraine to prevent Ukraine from falling. However, the EU has its own set of problems, including rearming itself and juggling its budget, so there is a limited amount that the EU can contribute on short notice. (V)