Republican leaders said they were ready to vote as soon as this month on punishing penalties against Moscow but have paused after President Trump threatened to act unilaterally within weeks.

The European Union's latest effort to restrict Russia's oil revenue is unlikely to hurt Moscow's war effort severely, leaving U.S. President Donald Trump's threat of secondary sanctions one of the few remaining economic levers to pressure the Kremlin.

Last week, the European Union agreed on its 18th package of sanctions against Russia, which included a ban on the import of refined oil products derived from Russian crude. Whether this bolsters calls for the American government to do the same remains to be seen.

Iran schedules diplomatic meetings with Russia, China and European nations as the deadline approaches for a new nuclear deal to avoid the reimposition of U.N. Security Council sanctions.

Britain on Monday imposed new sanctions on Russia's so-called "shadow fleet", targeting 135 oil tankers along with two Russian firms, shipping company Intershipping Services LLC and oil trader Litasco Middle East DMCC.

These measures risk backfiring by increasing fuel prices in Europe while straining trade relations with India.

The European Union and Britain on Friday ramped up pressure on Russia over its war on Ukraine, targeting Moscow’s energy sector, shadow fleet of aging oil tankers and military intelligence service

Oil prices fell on Monday as the latest European sanctions on Russian oil were expected to have minimal impact on supplies, but losses were curbed by investors weighing a potential drop in diesel supplies.

KYIV, Ukraine — Russian President Vladimir Putin is “not ready for compromises” to end his brutal war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told The Post in an exclusive interview on Wednesday — but President Trump has the power to bring him to his knees by speeding up tough sanctions that could cause a “social explosion” in Russia.

Momentum has been building behind a bipartisan bill to impose sanctions on countries that purchase Russian oil, as Republicans work behind the scenes to win President Trump’s support.

U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson said on Tuesday he does not think the U.S. Congress should consider sanctions on Russia until after President Donald Trump's 50-day deadline for Moscow to end the war in Ukraine.