In a stunning move on Capitol Hill, US House Speaker Mike Johnson appears to have broken with a key group of Republican lawmakers pushing for new sanctions strategy against Russia, aligning himself instead with President Trump’s approach.

Speaking on CBS’s Face the Nation, Johnson stated on Sunday, “I do believe that desperate times call for desperate measures, and I think appropriate sanctions on Russia are far overdue.” This comment initially seemed to suggest a willingness to work with the latest push led by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA).

Johnson further explained his stance, stating, “I think there’s a big appetite for that in Congress, so we’re willing to work with the White House and our Senate colleagues in the House to get that done and I’m anxious to do it, personally.”

However, the Speaker’s tone shifted dramatically when asked if Congress would act on its own. Johnson clarified that Congress “really can’t do this on its own volition because, of course, the President would need to sign whatever we do into law.”

He then deferred to Trump’s leadership, echoing a sentiment of complete trust and subordination to the executive branch on this issue. “We defer to the commander in chief,” Johnson asserted, adding that Trump “is a strong and bold leader on the world stage.”

He continued, “He has brokered peace around the world and other conflicts in a way that no one before him has been able to do, and so we’re trusting that he can use that same force and that same approach to bring about, finally, an end to this war in Ukraine.”

Leveraging shutdown to force sanctions

As Kyiv Post reported earlier, a pair of leading US lawmakers from the Republican party are attempting a high-risk, high-reward legislative maneuver to impose sweeping new sanctions on Russia.

Senator Graham and Congressman Fitzpatrick announced Saturday they will push to attach a sanctions bill to a must-pass government funding measure, a move that could force a showdown over the US strategy toward the war in Ukraine.

Tying the bill to a continuing resolution, or CR, is a calculated gamble. The move would leverage the threat of a government shutdown to force a vote on a bill that could otherwise languish in Congress.

This tactic shows the determination of Graham and Fitzpatrick to push their sanctions plan forward, even if it means clashing with their own party’s leadership.

Graham advocates for tariffs on Russia’s customers

Meanwhile, on NBC’s Meet the Press, Senator Lindsey Graham was asked on Sunday if it was time for Trump to directly punish Putin.

Graham dismissed the idea of further sanctions on Russia, saying, “No, it is time for Europe to get behind President Trump to punish Putin’s customers.” He argued that Putin’s economy had already been sanctioned “every way it can be.”

Graham continued by explaining that the Trump administration’s approach is to go after Russia’s customers, primarily China and India.

“President Trump put a 25 percent tariff on every Indian product coming into America because they buy cheap Russian oil,” he said.

He noted that Trump is now “going after China,” and posted Saturday “to our European allies, mostly NATO allies, that he expects them to follow his lead by imposing tariffs on China for 50 percent to up to 100 percent on products coming into Europe.”

Graham’s statements show a clear alignment with Trump’s tariff-based approach. He stressed that “it is now time for Europe to get behind the Trump approach.”

Graham also highlighted the bipartisan support for his bill, Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025, stating that it “has 85 cosponsors in the Senate that will allow President Trump to tariff people who buy cheap Russian oil for their benefit, like China, India and Brazil.”

Fitzpatrick urges a bold stand

Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick further emphasized the purpose of his latest initiative stating on Sunday in a social media post, “For too long, too many nations have played both sides – profiting off Western markets while pumping cash into Putin’s war machine through oil and energy deals. That ends now.”

This statement underscores the core belief of the bill’s sponsors: that the key to ending the war is to target the nations that are financially enabling Russia.

Fitzpatrick’s post highlights the coalition he and Graham have built, calling it a “coalition across both parties and both chambers to take a stand for freedom, and against tyranny.”

In conclusion, he directly addressed the legislative strategy, calling for action, demanding that Congress use its leverage to pass the bill and send a powerful message to the world. “Attach it to the CR. Pass it. Lead the American way – with peace through strength,” he emphasized.