This article was originally published in Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). Read the original article.
By Alex Raufoglu
WASHINGTON -- A bipartisan coalition in the US Senate is working to keep momentum behind a sweeping sanctions package targeting Russia and Iran, with lawmakers from both parties arguing that the legislation would send a broader message about American resolve against authoritarian powers.
Republican Senator John Curtis of Utah, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the unusually broad support for the measure reflects a growing recognition in Congress that Russia's war against Ukraine is not simply a regional conflict but a test of the international order.
The Senate advanced the Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act in a key procedural vote last week, with Curtis serving in the presiding chair during the vote. Speaking with RFE/RL on August 5, he said the level of bipartisan backing was significant.
"It's not very often that you see things here in the Senate that are that overwhelmingly bipartisan," Curtis said. "And when you see that many of my colleagues on both sides come together, you should pay attention because that means we're serious and something's going to happen."
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The legislation would impose sweeping sanctions on Russia's financial and energy sectors, target Moscow's shadow fleet used to evade sanctions, and expand sanctions authorities related to Iran. It also includes provisions allowing the president to impose tariffs on countries that continue purchasing Russian oil and gas.
Curtis said he expects the bill to move forward despite the Senate's unpredictable schedule.
"There's some hope that it will actually happen this week," he said. "I'm not overly worried about whether it's this week or in the coming weeks. As you know, things here in the Senate have a little bit of a life of their own, and you can't force things, and so I think we'll get it across. It's just a matter of how soon."
Curtis argued that allowing Russia to prevail in Ukraine would have consequences far beyond Kyiv and Moscow, particularly in shaping China's calculations over Taiwan.
"From my perspective, from the beginning, this has been a war that it's not acceptable to let Russia win," Curtis said. "Thank goodness they're not. But we want to emphasize our point that we stand with freedom. We stand with Ukraine, and we can't tolerate a dictator invading a friendly nation."
Asked what victory would mean for Ukraine, Curtis pointed to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's own definition of survival against Russian aggression.
"If you ask President Zelenskyy, victory simply means they didn't lose today, and they don't lose tomorrow, and they don't lose the day after that," Curtis said.
He noted that Moscow's original objective was far more expansive. "From the beginning, Russia has kind of defined this as victory for them is overrunning and overtaking Ukraine," he said. "So anything less than that is a victory for Ukraine, and simply the fact that they've been able to withstand four and a half years of this aggression is a huge victory for Ukraine."
Curtis acknowledged divisions within the Republican Party over the scope of US foreign commitments but said Ukraine remains central to American security interests. "The reality of it is, we can't do everything, and I think they make good points," he said. "At the same time, I'll come back to this: failure is not an option."
He warned that a weakening of US support could influence adversaries around the world. "Letting Putin have a victory in Ukraine would dramatically impact many other areas around the world," Curtis said. "If you look simply at China and Taiwan, we know very well President Xi is watching what's happening in Ukraine, and if we back off, he knows we'll back off on Taiwan. And so this has implications far bigger than just Ukraine."
Curtis said Beijing is closely watching how Washington responds to Russia's invasion, viewing the conflict as an indicator of how the United States might respond to a future crisis in the Indo-Pacific.
"There's no doubt they're watching our reaction," he said. "They would want to infer that any reaction we have to Russia and Ukraine would be similar to what we would have to China and Taiwan, and that's one of the reasons that we need to send a very clear message that we stand with freedom."
He described Russia, Iran, and China as part of a wider challenge involving governments that oppose the democratic order.
"Anybody who thinks that this is not a good versus evil argument is mistaken," Curtis said. "And we know where Iran lines up on that side. We know where the dictators line up. We know where democracy lines up, and where freedom lines up. And the battle lines are very clear."
"We shouldn't pretend that somehow not only Iran but that China isn't meddling in this fight," he added. "This is a really clear opportunity to see who our friends are and who they're not."
The bill's inclusion of Iran reflects congressional concerns over Tehran's military cooperation with Moscow and efforts by both governments to avoid Western sanctions.
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The push for final Senate action intensified on August 4, when lawmakers from both parties highlighted the need to maintain momentum behind the sanctions package.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, the top Democrat on foreign policy, issued a statement describing the legislation as one of Congress' strongest tools to increase pressure on the Kremlin. She argued that sanctions targeting Russia's energy sector, financial institutions, Arctic liquefied natural gas projects, and shadow fleet would strike at the economic foundations supporting President Vladimir Putin's war effort.
Shaheen also emphasized provisions that would authorize tariffs of up to 100 percent on imports from countries that continue financing Russia through purchases of Russian oil and gas, particularly China. She said Ukraine needs the legislation and that Republicans and Democrats were united in sending a clear warning to Moscow.
On the same day, Republican Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) addressed the Senate floor and urged lawmakers to move quickly, arguing that Congress already has the votes needed for passage.
"Stop talking and start voting," Kennedy told colleagues.
Kennedy said Ukraine's battlefield innovation, particularly its drone capabilities, had helped put Russia "on the back foot" and argued that reducing Moscow's energy revenues would limit the Kremlin's ability to continue the war without requiring additional US resources.
The bipartisan group backing the measure is now focused on preserving that momentum and reaching the finish line after months of negotiations. Supporters argue that the broad coalition behind the bill demonstrates that pressure on Russia remains one of the rare areas where Democrats and Republicans continue to find common ground.
Curtis also pointed to Ukraine's rapid development of drone technology as an example of how cooperation between allies can work in both directions.
"Ukraine's been very impressive in the progress they've made in the four and a half years in being able to defend themselves," he said. "One of those areas is in their drone technology."
"The fact that we have an opportunity to share that with them and learn shows how valuable allies can work together and be mutually beneficial," Curtis added. "So I'm hopeful and confident that we can work well on that front, and take advantage of the advances they've made."
Curtis also backed efforts to return Ukrainian children taken during the war, calling their protection a humanitarian priority.
"War has a lot of very terrible consequences, and sadly, children are often victims, and this is no exception to that," he said. "I think we should not stop at any effort to bring those kids back home, and not only that, but protect all the children in Ukraine."
Referencing recent Russian strikes on civilian areas, Curtis said the international community must continue pressing for accountability.
"We saw just recently several die in an apartment bombing from Russia," he said. "It's unacceptable, and we need to be firm in our resolve to make sure that children all over the world feel safe and comfortable."
While supporting tougher measures against Tehran, Curtis said sanctions should distinguish between Iran's leadership and its population.
"It's clear that the Iranian people and their leadership are in different places," he said.
"It's clear that the US, and really the world, longs for a healthy relationship with Iran, and in many cases the people of Iran are as much victims as anybody else by this dictatorship, which is not unusual with dictatorships."
Curtis said he hopes Iran could eventually become a partner rather than an adversary.
"I'm hopeful that the day can come that we can unite with Iran as friends and allies in the region, bring prosperity to everybody in that region," he said. "We've seen some be able to prosper, but I think if Iran can figure this out, we can also be an ally and we can prosper together."
Copyright (c)2025 RFE/RL, Inc. Used with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
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