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Politico
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Politico
How national security has gone local under Trump
With help from Daniel Lippman Subscribe here | Email Eric President DONALD TRUMP's conception of national security is much more domestically focused than his predecessors — as we're seeing play out right now in California. Over the weekend, Trump federalized the California National Guard in response to dayslong protests against immigration raids in Los Angeles — an action no president had taken since 1965. White House spokesperson KAROLINE LEAVITT said Saturday that those actions were 'essential to halting and reversing the invasion of illegal criminals into the United States.' Others, including analysts at MAGA-aligned America First Policy Institute and the Heritage Foundation, have also used the word invasion to describe the effects of illegal immigration. It's the latest example of a Trump approach to national security that focuses mainly on immigration, drugs and trade. That's different from other administrations, which largely conceived of national security through the prisms of threats from militant groups around the world, nuclear proliferation and great power competition. It also may expose the limits of this administration's approach. Constitutional law scholars say the deployment in California strains the legal limits of how the military can be used in domestic law enforcement, as our colleagues Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein report today. California Gov. GAVIN NEWSOM is also suing the Trump administration, arguing Trump's decision to federalize the National Guard broke the law. It's unclear if such challenges could also endanger the larger strategy. In his first 100 days in office, Trump invoked eight declarations of national emergency regarding the southern border, energy and trade according to an NPR analysis, enabling him to unlock wide-ranging executive powers. He has invoked these emergency powers more than any other modern president. 'What I think is really clear and distinct about his second term so far, is that Trump manifests more animus for the enemy within, whatever that means, than for America's adversaries abroad,' said STEPHEN WERTHEIM, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International peace. 'Even China has taken a lower profile in Trump's account of what he and the country are contending with.' Trump has also dispatched some 9,000 U.S. troops along the southern border with Mexico to support a wide-ranging crackdown on immigration and drug smuggling, blurring the lines between defense and domestic law enforcement. Director of National Intelligence TULSI GABBARD has likewise called the threat of gangs and cartels at the southern border as the most 'immediate and direct threat' to national security. Last month, she announced a reorientation of U.S. intelligence collection efforts towards border security and counternarcotics as 'the biggest shift in collection priorities in ODNI history.' To be sure, the international drug trade poses a more real and immediate challenge to many American communities than the overseas national security threats that have long preoccupied Washington. An estimated 48,000 people in the United States died after overdosing on synthetic opioids, including fentanyl, last year. But it is still a striking break with her predecessors to see Gabbard give the drug trade top billing over, say, threats from China against Taiwan and other East Asian allies or the proliferation of nuclear weapons. Trump has also repeatedly invoked national security as a reason for applying tariffs on countries ranging from Canada to China. So far, these redefinitions don't appear to be inspiring much by way of overt Republican criticism, even in the face of accusations Trump is employing an extreme and unconstitutional conception of executive powers in California. Speaker MIKE JOHNSON was the most prominent GOP leader to back Trump's actions, telling ABC on Sunday that the decisions to deploy the National Guard and Marines weren't heavy-handed. The Inbox RUSSIA'S DRONE DRIVE: Russia launched its largest-yet drone attack at Ukraine, as peace efforts to end Moscow's three-year invasion have stalled, per our colleague Ali Walker in Europe. Ukraine is claiming Russia launched almost 500 drones at Ukraine and more than a dozen missiles, in a major attack targeting cities across the country. Ukrainian officials insisted air defenses had shot down hundreds of drones and many missiles, and claimed that injuries were minimal, but Kyiv warns that Russia is likely to keep hitting Ukraine hard. 'Russia is escalating the war and has no intention of stopping it,' said ANDRIY YERMAK, a top adviser to Ukrainian President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY. 'Any escalation can only be stopped by force.' Read: Modern Tech and Old-School Spycraft are Redefining War by The Wall Street Journal's Yaroslav Trofimov, Drew Hinshaw and Joe Parkinson NATO QUANTUM LEAP: NATO chief MARK RUTTE is warning that Russia could invade the rest of Europe as soon as 2030, and that Europe needs to ramp up defense spending to meet the moment. 'Russia could be ready to use military force against NATO within five years. Let's not kid ourselves, we're all on the eastern flank now,' Rutte said in a speech at Chatham House in London. 'The fact is, we need a quantum leap in our collective defense.' In line with that desired big buildup in defense spending, Canada announced today it would ramp up defense spending to hit the NATO alliance's 2 percent target by the end of the year, per our colleague Mike Blanchfield in Canada. IRAN'S ISSUES: The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that Iran stole a trove of documents about an Israeli nuclear research facility, which Tehran is trumpeting as proof Israel has a nuclear weapons program. Per the Associated Press' Stefanie Liechtenstein, IAEA chief RAFAEL GROSSI told reporters that the documents obtained by Iran 'refer to Soreq, which is a research facility which we inspect by the way. We don't inspect other strategic parts of the program, but this part of the program we do inspect.' As Liechtenstein goes on to explain, it's widely believed Israel has an undisclosed nuclear weapons program and that Israel collaborates partially with the IAEA through an 'item-specific safeguards agreement.' The yet-unreleased documents, discussed on Iranian state media over the weekend, purport to show information about Israel's nuclear program. The document theft is seemingly in response to a 2018 Israeli cyberattack against Iran's nuclear program. The breach (it's assumed the documents were obtained via espionage or a hack) could make nuclear talks awkward. Western countries were looking to have the IAEA hold Iran in noncompliance with the United Nations' nuclear watchdog as a way to reimpose sanctions on Tehran. IT'S MONDAY: Thanks for tuning in to NatSec Daily! This space is reserved for the top U.S. and foreign officials, the lawmakers, the lobbyists, the experts and the people like you who care about how the natsec sausage gets made. Aim your tips and comments at ebazail@ and follow Eric on X @ebazaileimil. While you're at it, follow the rest of POLITICO's global security team on X and Bluesky at: @dave_brown24, @HeidiVogt, @jessicameyers, @RosiePerper, @ @PhelimKine, @ak_mack, @felschwartz, @connorobrienNH, @paulmcleary, @reporterjoe, @JackDetsch, @samuelskove, @magmill95, @johnnysaks130 and @delizanickel Keystrokes ITALY PUNTS PARAGON: Italy ended contracts with an Israeli tech company amid allegations the Italian government used spyware to hack into the phones of government critics. Per Reuters' Giuseppe Fonte and Alvise Armellini, Italy nixed a contract with spyware maker Paragon after Meta and Italian investigators earlier this year said the software was used against seven users on WhatsApp, including an Italian journalist and members of the charity group Mediterranea that were critical of Italian Prime Minister GIORGIA MELONI. The announcement, buried in a parliamentary report about the use of Paragon software, was accompanied by accusations the Italian government obtained permission from a prosecutor to use Paragon software on some Italian nationals. The spyware was used to search for ties to potential terrorism, migrant smuggling, organized crime and other criminal activities. Paragon told Italian outlet Fanpage that it stopped providing spyware to Italy when it became public that Fanpage editor FRANCESCO CANCELLATO was implicated. Paragon also told Fanpage the government declined an offer to jointly investigate whether and how he was spied upon. The Complex HEGSETH HIRING HEADACHE: The White House has struggled to find qualified candidates willing to serve in senior Pentagon roles under Defense Secretary PETE HEGSETH, per NBC News' Gordon Lubold, Courtney Kube and Katherine Doyle. Ever since Hegseth dismissed some of his top personal aides, accusing them of leaking to the press, former and current officials say Vice President JD VANCE and White House Chief of Staff SUSIE WILES have worked to support the hiring of new senior Pentagon officials to support the Defense Department chief. But so far, neither has managed to find people who are both willing to work for Hegseth and who have the requisite political bona fides to serve in the Trump administration. The Pentagon and White House have also disagreed on several candidates, according to NBC. The Pentagon pushed back on those claims, telling NBC that 'the anonymous sources cited in this article have no idea what they're talking about.' Hegseth's supporters also show no signs of abandoning the charismatic former Fox News personality. But the claims from former and current officials speak to the culture of dysfunction Hegseth is accused of creating at the Pentagon. Broadsides WARSAW'S NOT WORRIED: Polish Foreign Minister RADOSŁAW SIKORSKI is reassuring the world that the election of nationalist politician KAROL NAWROCKI won't derail Warsaw's support for Ukraine's war effort. In an interview with our colleague Gabriel Gavin in Europe, Sikorski recalled how Nawrocki's party, also that of current President ANDRZEJ DUDA, has been pro-defense spending in the past. 'The majority of defense contracts that we are now financing were signed under the previous government, so I expect him to be pro-defense,' Sikorski said. Sikorski acknowledged that the two camps — the Polish government led by the more pro-Brussels Prime Minister DONALD TUSK and Nawrocki — won't see eye to eye on every issue. But Sikorski said the presence of Nawrocki could even help shore up Poland's ties with Washington and Budapest, which haven't always been on steady footing in recent years. ICYMI — Graham's 'bone crushing' Russia sanctions bill could freeze U.S. trade with the world's largest economies, by Amy Transitions — SHARON BURKE is the new chief engagement officer for global food security organization CIMMYT (a Spanish acronym for the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center). Burke was assistant secretary of Defense for energy in the Obama administration and served as an aide to Deputy Secretary of State RICH ARMITAGE. — BRIAN BETTIS joined Rebel Global Security as a senior adviser covering homeland defense. He retired as a colonel in the U.S. Army earlier this year, following his service as protection director for U.S. Army North. — The University of Virginia announced that CHRIS LU and EVERETT EISSENSTAT will be James R. Schlesinger distinguished professors at the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia. Lu served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations for management and reform under President JOE BIDEN and Eissenstat was deputy assistant to the president for international economic affairs and deputy director of the National Economic Council in Trump's first term. — RUSS READ has joined the Transportation Security Agency as assistant administrator for strategic communications and public affairs. He was most recently air programs manager at the National Guard Association of the United States. — JASON RATHJE announced that he has stepped down as director of the Pentagon's Office of Strategic Capital. — ELIOT KANG, the former acting undersecretary of State for arms control and international security, announced that he has left the State Department after more than two decades of service. — Hilco Global has hired former Rep. PATRICK MURPHY and ALEXANDER NIEJELOW, former director for cybersecurity policy on President BARACK OBAMA's National Security Council. — SHANG YI has been sworn in as acting administrator of the U.S. Maritime Administration. He most recently was director of investigations for the House Homeland Security Committee. What to Read — Juan Forero, The Wall Street Journal: Soaring Gold Prices Draw Illicit Miners—and Armed Gangs—to Colombia's Jungles — Carmen Paun, Amanda Friedman and Robert King, POLITICO: 'It's made up': Democrats say Rubio isn't playing it straight about foreign aid cuts — MIKE POMPEO, National Review: America Loses If Russia Wins Tomorrow Today — Hudson Institute, 8:45 a.m.: 'Defending in Outer Space.' — Senate Armed Services Committee, 9:30 a.m.: posture of the Department of the Navy in review of the Defense Authorization Request for FY2026 and the Future Years Defense Program. — Atlantic Council, 9:30 a.m.: 'Marine Energy: Harnessing the Power of the Atlantic.' — Hudson Institute, 10 a.m.: 'Adapting the U.S. Nuclear Posture in Response to Adversary Threats.' — House Armed Services Committee, 10 a.m.: 'U.S. Military Posture and National Security Challenges in the Greater Middle East and Africa.' — George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs, 11 a.m.: 'Transitional Justice in Syria: An Opportunity for Progress.' — Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, 12 p.m.: A virtual book discussion on 'Iran's Grand Strategy: A Political History.' — Atlantic Council, 12 p.m.: Russia's War and the Hague Summit — Asia Society Policy Institute, 12 p.m.: A Population in Flux: The Consequences of China's Demographic Shift.' — Council on Foreign Relations, 1 p.m.: C.V. Starr & Co. Annual Lecture on China on 'Reassessing U.S.-China Relations.' — Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, 2 p.m.: Human Rights in Turkey Today — House Foreign Affairs East Asia and Pacific Subcommittee, 2:30 p.m.: Building Bridges, Countering Rivals: Strengthening U.S.-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Ties to Combat Chinese Influence — Defense Priorities, 3 p.m.: 'U.S.-China competition and the value of Middle East influence.' Thanks to our editors, Heidi Vogt and Katherine Long, who should not be considered for senior Pentagon roles.
New York Post
05-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Oregon track star wages legal battle against trans athlete policy after medal ceremony protest
An Oregon high school track star is speaking out after refusing to stand on the podium with a transgender athlete, saying her protest was about fairness – not hate. 'I just didn't think that it's fair to biological females to allow and encourage biological males to compete among us, not only for myself and the other girl that stepped down, but the girl who should have been on the podium and the girl who didn't even get to go to state because she was beaten by a biological male at districts,' athlete Alexa Anderson said on 'Fox & Friends.' Advertisement 'It is not about hate or transphobia at all. It's about protecting women's rights and their right to fair and equal competition within sports.' Anderson and another athlete named Reese Eckard, who finished in third and fourth place in the Oregon State Athletic Association's Girls High Jump finale, respectively, stood behind the podium during the ceremony because they refused to stand next to the transgender student, Liaa Rose, who placed fifth, according to the New York Post. An official behind the event allegedly told those protesting to 'step aside' and 'get out' of the photos. 3 Reese Eckard and Alexa Anderson protest the girls' high jump medal ceremony at the Oregon State high school championships at Hayward Field on May 31, 2025. America First Policy Institute Advertisement 3 Alexa Anderson speaks out on her legal battle during a recent interview with 'Fox and Friends.' 'I was very shocked and kind of stressed with all the eyes and attention on us, so I complied with what he said, but I am a little bit frustrated that people were angry with us rather than supportive of our movement,' Anderson continued. During the 'Fox & Friends' appearance, Anderson's attorney Jessica Steinmann spelled out the legal action currently in motion, sharing that America First Policy Institute filed a complaint with the US Department of Education to request that they investigate the Oregon Department of Education. 'The law that was meant to protect our girls, Title IX, is now being weaponized against them. On top of that, they are now being sidelined and there's clear First Amendment issues as well,' she shared. Advertisement 3 Eckard and Anderson refused to share the podium with transgender athlete Liaa Rose who tied for fifth in the event. @LaLONeill/X Steinmann said female athletes today are losing medal access, scholarships and economic opportunities to biological males allegedly stealing their thunder. The incident came on the heels of a controversy in neighboring California, where trans athlete AB Hernandez won two state titles against female competitors.
Fox News
02-06-2025
- General
- Fox News
Erika Donalds: The Trump Administration Has To Make An Example Out Of California Over Title IX Compliance
America First Policy Institute's Center for Education Opportunity chair Erika Donalds joins Fox Across America With Jimmy Failla to explain why she believes the Trump administration ultimately must take legal action against California over the state's apparent Title IX violation regarding transgender athletes. Erika Donalds On The Problems With Teachers Unions PLUS, check out the podcast to hear Monday's full show!
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump is losing patience with Putin but unsure of his next move
President Donald Trump on Tuesday signaled that his patience with Vladimir Putin is running thin, warning the Russian leader that he is 'playing with fire' by refusing to engage in serious peace talks about ending the war in Ukraine. But Trump, frustrated that Putin has shrugged at his offer to reset relations with the U.S. following a peace settlement, still hasn't decided to shift gears. "Putin is getting dangerously close to burning the golden bridge that Trump has set out before him,' said an administration official, who, like others, was granted anonymity to share details about the president's current thinking. Trump has yet to make a decision on whether to impose additional sanctions on Moscow in response to Putin ramping up attacks on Ukraine, according to four U.S. officials. Pro-Ukraine allies on Capitol Hill are treading carefully as they urge the White House to consider following up on his threats to Putin by backing their effort to enact new sanctions. And allies in Europe, facing the possibility that Trump could walk away from peace talks without punishing Russia, are scrambling to figure out how they could tackle taking the lead on support for Ukraine 'What Vladimir Putin doesn't realize is that if it weren't for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened to Russia, and I mean REALLY BAD,' Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Tuesday. 'He's playing with fire!' Trump also told reporters on Sunday that he was 'absolutely' considering additional economic sanctions on Russia and described Putin as having 'gone absolutely CRAZY' in a social media post. The president has issued similar, yet sporadic, threats since his first days in office. But at no point has he followed through and ratcheted up pressure on Moscow — despite Putin repeatedly telling Trump he supports peace while intensifying his bombing campaign in Ukraine. 'I am now very, very skeptical that Trump will ever apply any serious sanctions or measures on Russia,' said Kurt Volker, who served as Trump's special envoy to Ukraine during his first term. 'He has had so many opportunities to do it and he has always ducked.' And many of Trump's broadsides criticizing Putin have been diluted with strong words for other parties. Trump wrote on Sunday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and former President Joe Biden share some of the blame for the war that Putin initiated, now in its fourth year. 'This war is Joe Biden's fault, and President Trump has been clear he wants to see a negotiated peace deal,' press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to POLITICO. 'President Trump has also smartly kept all options on the table.' Fred Fleitz, a vice chair at the America First Policy Institute who is close to the administration, praised Trump for 'do[ing] his best to solve it,' but asserted that 'if for some reason they can't solve it, that failure is Biden's.' Fleitz said Trump's patience with Putin is running thin. 'The time is coming within the next month or six weeks where Trump may end negotiations and put in place tough sanctions,' he said. When Trump spoke with several European leaders last week following his phone calls with both Zelenskyy and Putin, he seemed to be making excuses for Putin's reluctance to engage in peace talks, according to two people familiar with the call. Trump, the people said, hypothesized that Putin may have balked at joining ceasefire talks after the threats of new economic sanctions by Europe and the U.S. As frustrated as Trump has gotten with Putin, the people said, he's given Europeans a clear sense that he doesn't like sanctions and had hoped he could get the Russian leader to engage without forcing his hand. European leaders hope that Trump is coming to understand that the light touch with the Kremlin isn't going to work and adjust, they said. There are also some people inside and outside the administration who have told Trump that 'sanctions will hurt U.S. companies and drive Russia away from talks,' a U.S. official said. Several Republican lawmakers are now encouraging Trump's sanction threats. Senate Republican leadership backs a bipartisan sanctions bill but has been looking for a formal green light from Trump that he would support the legislation. Without his blessing, Republicans worry that it could be dead on arrival in the House, where leadership is wary of getting sideways with the president. And if he were to formally come out against more sanctions, it could bleed support for the bill or force Republicans to formally break with Trump. Majority Leader John Thune has said the sanctions bill would easily pass the Senate, and that he would support putting it on the floor. But he's also been careful not to get ahead of the administration. If Russia doesn't 'engage in serious diplomacy, the Senate will work with the administration to consider additional sanctions,' he said last week. Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), the No. 2 Senate Republican, added in a Tuesday post on X that 'if Russia stalls, the Senate will act decisively to move to bring lasting peace.' But Thune is also facing pent-up desire from within his own conference to take up sanctions legislation even if Trump doesn't offer his clear blessing. GOP senators discussed the sanctions legislation during a closed-door lunch last week, according to two attendees, who were granted anonymity to disclose private discussions. Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) said on Tuesday that he could see Thune bringing the bill to the floor without Trump's blessing, although said the leader would prefer a signal from the White House. 'We want to be part of the solution and give leverage to the president, but it's not like he doesn't know what we're up to,' Cramer said. Republicans have largely left pressing Trump for more Russia sanctions to Sen. Lindsey Graham. The South Carolina Republican noted in a letter to the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday that he's worked closely with the administration to calibrate his sanctions bill. Graham also recently traveled with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and said he used the trip to talk up the sanctions bill and tell foreign allies that the Senate is 'an independent body and that we are moving down the road to holding Putin accountable.' European officials and longtime Russia watchers note that Moscow has sought to try and separate the war in Ukraine from the broader U.S.-Russia relationship, where both Putin and Trump see significant potential for economic rapprochement. 'It seems to us that the Russians would like to separate two topics,' said a European official.'One is Russia-U.S.-relations. And then Ukraine, as a separate topic.' U.S. and Russian officials have both hinted at the lucrative opportunities that could follow if the two countries were to normalize bilateral relations in the wake of peace talks. 'Russia wants to do largescale TRADE with the United States when this catastrophic 'bloodbath' is over, and I agree,' Trump posted on social media following his most recent call with Putin.
Politico
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Trump is losing patience with Putin but unsure of his next move
President Donald Trump on Tuesday signaled that his patience with Vladimir Putin is running thin, warning the Russian leader that he is 'playing with fire' by refusing to engage in serious peace talks about ending the war in Ukraine. But Trump, frustrated that Putin has shrugged at his offer to reset relations with the U.S. following a peace settlement, still hasn't decided to shift gears. 'Putin is getting dangerously close to burning the golden bridge that Trump has set out before him,' said an administration official, who, like others, was granted anonymity to share details about the president's current thinking. Trump has yet to make a decision on whether to impose additional sanctions on Moscow in response to Putin ramping up attacks on Ukraine, according to four U.S. officials. Pro-Ukraine allies on Capitol Hill are treading carefully as they urge the White House to consider following up on his threats to Putin by backing their effort to enact new sanctions. And allies in Europe, facing the possibility that Trump could walk away from peace talks without punishing Russia, are scrambling to figure out how they could tackle taking the lead on support for Ukraine 'What Vladimir Putin doesn't realize is that if it weren't for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened to Russia, and I mean REALLY BAD,' Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Tuesday. 'He's playing with fire!' Trump also told reporters on Sunday that he was 'absolutely' considering additional economic sanctions on Russia and described Putin as having 'gone absolutely CRAZY' in a social media post. The president has issued similar, yet sporadic, threats since his first days in office. But at no point has he followed through and ratcheted up pressure on Moscow — despite Putin repeatedly telling Trump he supports peace while intensifying his bombing campaign in Ukraine. 'I am now very, very skeptical that Trump will ever apply any serious sanctions or measures on Russia,' said Kurt Volker, who served as Trump's special envoy to Ukraine during his first term. 'He has had so many opportunities to do it and he has always ducked.' And many of Trump's broadsides criticizing Putin have been diluted with strong words for other parties. Trump wrote on Sunday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and former President Joe Biden share some of the blame for the war that Putin initiated, now in its fourth year. 'This war is Joe Biden's fault, and President Trump has been clear he wants to see a negotiated peace deal,' press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to POLITICO. 'President Trump has also smartly kept all options on the table.' Fred Fleitz, a vice chair at the America First Policy Institute who is close to the administration, praised Trump for 'do[ing] his best to solve it,' but asserted that 'if for some reason they can't solve it, that failure is Biden's.' Fleitz said Trump's patience with Putin is running thin. 'The time is coming within the next month or six weeks where Trump may end negotiations and put in place tough sanctions,' he said. When Trump spoke with several European leaders last week following his phone calls with both Zelenskyy and Putin, he seemed to be making excuses for Putin's reluctance to engage in peace talks, according to two people familiar with the call. Trump, the people said, hypothesized that Putin may have balked at joining ceasefire talks after the threats of new economic sanctions by Europe and the U.S. As frustrated as Trump has gotten with Putin, the people said, he's given Europeans a clear sense that he doesn't like sanctions and had hoped he could get the Russian leader to engage without forcing his hand. European leaders hope that Trump is coming to understand that the light touch with the Kremlin isn't going to work and adjust, they said. There are also some people inside and outside the administration who have told Trump that 'sanctions will hurt U.S. companies and drive Russia away from talks,' a U.S. official said. Several Republican lawmakers are now encouraging Trump's sanction threats. Senate Republican leadership backs a bipartisan sanctions bill but has been looking for a formal green light from Trump that he would support the legislation. Without his blessing, Republicans worry that it could be dead on arrival in the House, where leadership is wary of getting sideways with the president. And if he were to formally come out against more sanctions, it could bleed support for the bill or force Republicans to formally break with Trump. Majority Leader John Thune has said the sanctions bill would easily pass the Senate, and that he would support putting it on the floor. But he's also been careful not to get ahead of the administration. If Russia doesn't 'engage in serious diplomacy, the Senate will work with the administration to consider additional sanctions,' he said last week. Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), the No. 2 Senate Republican, added in a Tuesday post on X that 'if Russia stalls, the Senate will act decisively to move to bring lasting peace.' But Thune is also facing pent-up desire from within his own conference to take up sanctions legislation even if Trump doesn't offer his clear blessing. GOP senators discussed the sanctions legislation during a closed-door lunch last week, according to two attendees, who were granted anonymity to disclose private discussions. Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) said on Tuesday that he could see Thune bringing the bill to the floor without Trump's blessing, although said the leader would prefer a signal from the White House. 'We want to be part of the solution and give leverage to the president, but it's not like he doesn't know what we're up to,' Cramer said. Republicans have largely left pressing Trump for more Russia sanctions to Sen. Lindsey Graham. The South Carolina Republican noted in a letter to the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday that he's worked closely with the administration to calibrate his sanctions bill. Graham also recently traveled with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and said he used the trip to talk up the sanctions bill and tell foreign allies that the Senate is 'an independent body and that we are moving down the road to holding Putin accountable.' European officials and longtime Russia watchers note that Moscow has sought to try and separate the war in Ukraine from the broader U.S.-Russia relationship, where both Putin and Trump see significant potential for economic rapprochement. 'It seems to us that the Russians would like to separate two topics,' said a European official.'One is Russia-U.S.-relations. And then Ukraine, as a separate topic.' U.S. and Russian officials have both hinted at the lucrative opportunities that could follow if the two countries were to normalize bilateral relations in the wake of peace talks. 'Russia wants to do largescale TRADE with the United States when this catastrophic 'bloodbath' is over, and I agree,' Trump posted on social media following his most recent call with Putin.
