U.S. senators put sanctions against Russia on hold for now

The U.S. Senate will hold off on considering new sanctions legislation on Russia until after U.S. President Donald Trump’s planned meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said.

“At least at the moment, we’re kind of hitting the pause button,” John Thune said, adding he will make a decision on bringing up the legislation after the summit. “We’ve been trying to do this all along in concert with the White House.”

Thune said one of the bill’s authors, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, was working with the White House to determine if the Trump-Putin summit “will be a fruitful one and will help move the process forward.”

“If it doesn’t, I still think the sanctions bill is a tool in the president’s tool chest that he can use against the Russians to get them to the table,” Thune said.