Zelenskyy presses U.S. senators on sanctions and local Patriot missile production
Read NV on Google
Zelenskyy met with U.S. senators (Photo: Ukraine's Presidential Office)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal and James Lankford in Kyiv following the National Prayer Breakfast on August 23, according to the President's Office.
The Ukrainian head of state emphasized the importance of strengthening sanctions against Russia to force a diplomatic end to the war, calling for the immediate passage of a sanctions bill drafted by the late U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham.
“We are grateful for the support. Lindsey Graham was a great friend of our country, and strengthening these sanctions could be very painful for Russia,” Zelenskyy said.
The Ukrainian president specifically thanked his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump and his team for their peace efforts, while noting that Russia is intensifying its missile terror by striking the Ukrainian agricultural sector and targeting infrastructure with ballistic missiles. Zelenskyy emphasized that Ukraine urgently needs protection against these severe attacks.
He also emphasized that Ukraine needs interceptor missiles to prepare for winter and protect critical infrastructure, adding that securing licenses for domestic Patriot missile production is currently a top priority.
Zelenskyy met with former U.S. Special Presidential Envoy General Keith Kellogg on August 22, following Kellogg's arrival in Kyiv from Odesa to attend the Veterans Forum. The president briefed Kellogg on Ukraine's joint work with European partners to develop a domestic anti-ballistic missile defense system.
Ukraine reached an agreement with the United States on monthly deliveries of missiles for Patriot systems, though the current volumes remain insufficient, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on August 8.
Ukraine is negotiating for additional interceptor missile deliveries with European partners, particularly with Poland and Germany, as well as Scandinavian countries.
The Graham–Blumenthal Russia sanctions bill
A bill imposing new sanctions on Russia was introduced in the U.S. Senate in early April 2025. It called for a 500% tariff on goods imported from countries that continued buying Russian oil and other raw materials. Republican Lindsey Graham and Democrat Richard Blumenthal co-sponsored the legislation.
The Wall Street Journal reported in June 2025 that the Trump administration was quietly lobbying Graham to soften the bill's provisions. Politico similarly predicted at the time that the bill would undergo significant dilution before a final vote.
At his final press conference in Kyiv on July 10, 2026, Senator Graham announced that a breakthrough agreement had been finalized with the White House on a revised version of the sanctions package.
However, on the evening of July 11, the political landscape was shattered when Senator Graham passed away in Washington following a sudden medical emergency.
Trump told reporters at the White House on July 14 that he believed sanctions against Iran and Hezbollah should be added to the legislative package. However, co-sponsor Senator Richard Blumenthal cautioned against delaying the process, stating: "We must move forward with this bill, rather than opening it up, in my view, to other potential targets."
The White House and congressional negotiators agreed to lower the proposed tariff rate from 500% to 100% starting in April 2025, CNN reported
The Senate held its first procedural vote on the Russia and Iran sanctions bill championed by Graham on July 28. Eighty-six senators backed the measure.
Donald Trump could weaponize the bill's broad powers to wage trade wars "against both friends and foes" rather than deploying them as intended, former senior sanctions official Edward Fishman warned, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The military war may be swinging in our favor, but the information war continues.
Just as an army needs soldiers, so does a free society need its journalists to ensure that people have access to honest, trustworthy voices to understand the world around them.
For the past five years, The New Voice of Ukraine has been working tirelessly to push back against Russian narratives and defend democracy. But we cannot do it alone.
Please consider supporting us on Patreon for just $5 a month – your donation does directly to supporting journalists and ensuring that this front of the infowar says solid and defended.
Thank you.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News
