Pence group writes to GOP leaders urging passage of Russian sanctions
The head of an advocacy group founded by former Vice President Pence wrote to the top two Republicans in Congress, urging them to take up and pass a fresh round of sanctions against Russia over its ongoing war in Ukraine.
In a letter obtained first by The Hill, Advancing American Freedom president Tim Chapman called on Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) to take up the Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025, a bill that would impose 500 percent tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil products.
“There’s no question that the threat of shutting down the Russian economy overnight would immediately bring [Russian President] Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table and thoroughly strengthen President Trump in his fight to bring peace to Eastern Europe,” Chapman wrote.
Chapman argued that Trump has “relentlessly pursued a path to peace,” but that Putin has strung him along in response while carrying out repeated strikes in the Eastern European country.
“The time is now for Congress to do its part to bring the Russian economy to its knees by passing an unprecedented and merciless sanctions package,” Chapman wrote. “Since 2022 and before, Russia has unjustly invaded Ukraine, murdered Ukrainians, and committed countless war crimes.”
The Russia sanctions package is led by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.). The two lawmakers said this week that their legislation had the support of 100 co-sponsors in the House and 85 co-sponsors in the Senate, calling it the most “unified, bipartisan push yet to choke off the cash flow fueling Putin’s war.”
Trump has for months floated the possibility of imposing additional economic penalties on Russia over its war in Ukraine. But aside from imposing added tariffs on India over its purchase of Russian oil, the president has largely held back, frustrating Republicans in the process.
The president hosted Putin for an August summit in Alaska and has since attempted to broker a follow-up meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. But the meeting has not materialized, while Russia has continued to strike Ukraine.
Pence, who served as Trump’s vice president during his first-term, has been outspoken in his support for Ukraine and visited the war-torn country multiple times. Pence previously praised Trump for “not giving up on Ukraine” while urging the administration to take more action to hold Russia accountable.