The administration of US President Donald Trump has urged Republican Senator Lindsey Graham to soften sanctions against Russia in the Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025, which has strong bipartisan support in the Senate.

I would expect next week that the Senate will start moving the sanctions bill,” said Graham, an ally of President Trump but also a firm backer of Ukraine’s war efforts.

The Trump administration is trying to get Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) to weaken his sanctions bill as the president tries to improve U.S. relations with Moscow.