A Ukrainian delegation is scheduled to brief U.S. senators
on Wednesday as lawmakers consider a major sanctions bill aimed at Russia and
its key energy partners, China and India.
Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said he and Senator
Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) organized the closed-door meeting and invited all 100
senators to attend. “It’s a pivotal moment for Ukraine — and crunch time for
the Senate on this bill,” Blumenthal said, noting that the legislation has
secured support from 82 co-sponsors, split evenly between Democrats and
Republicans.
The visiting delegation includes Andriy Yermak, chief
adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Deputy Defense Minister
Serhii Boyev. The sanctions proposal, authored by Blumenthal and Graham, seeks
to escalate economic pressure on Russia by penalizing countries that purchase
Russian oil and gas — a move Blumenthal described as potentially
“game-changing.”
He also highlighted recent long-range Ukrainian drone
strikes inside Russia — dubbed “Operation Spiderweb” — as evidence of Ukraine’s
growing military capability and determination. These attacks, he said,
challenge the “false narrative that Ukraine is losing” and could galvanize
support in Washington for increased aid. “They can hit targets 4,000 miles
away. Just in skill and audacity, these strikes rival the U.S. raid on Osama
bin Laden and Israel’s pager operation as one of the great military feats of
recent years,” Blumenthal said.
While the White House remains cautious about backing the
sanctions bill, Blumenthal believes Ukraine’s battlefield advances could
influence President Donald Trump and other skeptics in Congress. “Events may
sway the White House — and maybe some of the president’s allies here,” he said,
referring to Graham. “Congress can move forward. [Trump] doesn’t have to
support it.”
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