US President Donald Trump will support the passage of the sanctions package against Russia, championed by the late Senator Lindsey Graham*, a White House spokesperson told CNN.
The endorsement comes just days after Graham's unexpected death and is likely to smooth the way for the bill, which the South Carolina senator spent years trying to push through.
Earlier, Graham and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal indicated that the administration was prepared to support the package: on Friday, they announced that they had reached an agreement after lengthy negotiations. However, it was unclear at the time whether Trump would directly support the bill—the president has repeatedly criticized the document and insisted on greater discretion in imposing sanctions.
When asked by CNN journalist Kaitlan Collins on Monday evening whether he planned to sign the bill, Trump replied: "Yes, we are discussing it. We will make a decision soon." Senate Majority Leader John Thune previously told CNN that the White House had worked closely with Graham on the measure and expressed hope for its success:
"It will take votes from both Democrats and Republicans in the Senate, but I'm hopeful we can get it done."
Thune said that in his final days, the sanctions package was "the thing he valued most as an accomplishment, and it would be an incredible legacy."
The package would pave the way for Trump to impose high tariffs on imports from countries buying Russian oil, uranium, and natural gas, further weakening Moscow.
"Swift passage in memory of Senator Graham would be a fitting tribute to him," Blumenthal said. “That’s exactly what we talked about when I last spoke to him over the weekend.”