Zelenskyy Heads to White House as Senate Readies Russia Sanctions
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- Zelenskyy is set to meet Trump at the White House on Tuesday and address the Senate that evening, with the same day potentially bringing a vote on a Russia sanctions bill championed by the late Senator Lindsey Graham.
- The Russia sanctions bill would impose 100% tariffs on goods from the five largest importers of Russian oil and gas, including China and India; Trump sought to add Iran sanctions to the same measure, which Zelenskyy told Laura Loomer is a "great idea."
- On Saturday, Ukraine attacked an Iranian tanker in the Caspian Sea carrying drones and military components from Iran to Russia; Iran has promised retaliation.
- Ukraine and the US agreed earlier this month to jointly produce Patriot air defence interceptors and are moving toward a joint drone production deal, with Ukraine on track to produce 6–7 million short-range attack drones this year versus the Pentagon's cumulative 200,000 drones by February 2027.
- Russian strikes on eastern Ukraine killed seven people and injured more than 20 on Monday, while a Ukrainian drone struck a commercial building in Russia's Belgorod region, killing one; fighting is heaviest in the Donetsk region's Konstantinyvka and Pokrovsk directions.
Why it matters: The bill would impose 100% tariffs on goods from the five largest Russian oil and gas importers — including China and India — pressing those buyers to weigh US market access against discounted Russian energy. The Caspian Sea strike pulls Iran into direct kinetic conflict with Ukraine for the first time, while US financial aid to Kyiv has ended but intelligence and weapons routed through Europe continue.
