The White House has been lobbying behind the scenes to temper bipartisan Senate legislation that would enact strict sanctions on Russia.

Trump administration officials have quietly contacted the office of Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., sponsor of the Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025, to urge him to soften the bill by inserting waivers that would allow President Donald Trump to choose who or what gets sanctioned, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday, citing congressional aides.

A provision in the legislation, which has 82 co-sponsors in the Senate, would sanction key Russian officials and sectors as well as penalize countries that do business with Moscow.

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