Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) urged President Trump Friday to hit Russia with “the toughest of sanctions,” arguing that Vladimir Putin is “playing America as a patsy.”
“IVE SEEN ENOUGH KILLING OF INNOCENT UKRAINIAN women + children,” Grassley wrote on X.
“President Trump pls put the toughest of sanctions on Putin,” the senator added. “U ought to c from clear evidence that he is playing America as a patsy.”
The White House did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
Grassley, the president pro tempore of the Senate and chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, posted his tweet a day after the Russian military battered Ukraine’s capital city of Kyiv with a barrage of drones and ballistic missiles.
The attack, the deadliest in Kyiv in nearly a year, killed 12 people and left nearly 90 injured.
Trump indicated that “work on the overall Peace Deal between Russia and Ukraine is going smoothly,” in a Truth Social post Friday where he also called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to “immediately” sign off on a rare earth minerals deal with the US which the commander in chief claims “is at least three weeks late.”
On Thursday, Trump called on Putin to “STOP” attacks against Kyiv amid the peace talks.
“I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV,” Trump wrote on his social media platform. “Not necessary, and very bad timing.”
“Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying. Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!”
In a separate post, Trump argued that Zelensky “boasting” about his refusal to recognize Crimea as Russian territory “will do nothing but prolong” the war.
A bipartisan group of more than 50 senators, including Grassley, backed legislation introduced by Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) earlier this month that would implement sanctions against Russia and “actors backing Russia’s aggression if the country refuses to engage in good-faith negotiations for a lasting peace with Ukraine or undermines the sovereignty of Ukraine after peace is negotiated.”
The legislation also seeks to impose a 500% tariff on imported goods from countries that buy Russian oil, gas, uranium and other products.
“The Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025 will issue decisive consequences aimed at deterring Russian aggression,” Cramer said in a statement. “This bill sends a clear message: bullies have a price to pay for their actions. Vladimir Putin and Russia must face serious consequences for their destructive and unprovoked war on Ukraine.”
