Ten days. That’s how long Donald Trump gave Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine before facing new American punishment.

But will Congress wait that long?

Senator Richard Blumenthal thinks not. The Connecticut Democrat wants an immediate vote on sweeping Russia sanctions legislation, telling Suspilne News that Putin “does not deserve additional time.”

Blumenthal and his Republican co-author Lindsey Graham have been pushing the sanctions bill since April. Eighty-one senators support it. Yet it sits in limbo while Trump experiments with presidential ultimatums.

“Everything the president is doing is in the right direction, but I strongly advocate for sanctions to be 500%, not 100%,” Blumenthal said. 

Blumenthal emphasized the importance of demonstrating unity between the executive branch and Congress on Ukraine policy.

Republican Senator Roger Marshall offered a different perspective, telling Suspilne News that Trump should be given “maximum flexibility” during the 10-day period. However, Marshall acknowledged that “Putin is not responding to anything” and advocated for comprehensive sanctions including potential banking sector measures and secondary sanctions.

Graham takes a harder line. If Putin won’t negotiate, Trump should target China and India—Russia’s biggest oil customers.

“He can do this through an executive order or through legislative initiative in Congress,” Graham told Suspilne News.

Can they actually pass this thing? The numbers look good. Blumenthal counts 85 Senate supporters and believes they can reach 90 votes if needed.

Despite this backing and failed ceasefire negotiations in Istanbul, Trump had previously stated in May that Washington would not impose additional Russia sanctions.

Moscow’s response? Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov acknowledged the deadline but said Russia’s “special military operation” continues and negotiations require momentum from both sides.

This stance reflects their determination to sustain the war despite international pressure and economic measures intended to weaken Russia. 

Meanwhile, Ukraine keeps destroying Russian military assets faster than Moscow can replace them. The senators argue economic pressure should match that pace.

Graham puts it simply: “The president will increase pressure on Russia’s clients to get Putin to the negotiating table.”

Whether that pressure comes through congressional action or Trump’s executive measures may depend on how the next few days unfold. Putin’s silence on Trump’s deadline suggests he’s betting the president won’t follow through.

Rosneft-linked oil payment rules changed after EU sanctions, Bloomberg reports. Mumbai-based Nayara Energy, the Indian refinery part-owned by Rosneft, now demands upfront payment or documentary letters of credit from buyers, showing how far-reaching the latest EU sanctions package is.

Nayara tightens oil deal terms after new EU measures

Nayara Energy Ltd., a key Indian refinery partially owned by Russia’s Rosneft, is now requiring advance payments or documentary letters of credit for upcoming oil shipments. According to Bloomberg, the shift was revealed in a revised tender document for a naphtha cargo scheduled for next month. The previous version of the tender included no such financial requirements. Naphtha is a fraction of crude oil, used for further petrochemical production.

Kpler analyst Zameer Yusof told Bloomberg the move “underscores how far-reaching the latest tranche of EU sanctions are.” He said the advance payment condition likely reflects fears that buyers may back out of deals or that banks could refuse to clear transactions involving sanctioned entities. 

In a weekend statement, Rosneft claimed that the EU’s new measures as “unjustified and illegal.” Meanwhile, Nayara insisted that operations remain normal and said it is “exploring all legal and appropriate avenues” to respond to the situation.

India’s role in Russian crude trade under pressure

India has become one of the largest importers of Russian crude since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. As Western buyers turned away, Indian refiners stepped in to process Russian oil, including into diesel and other products that were then exported globally. Until now, Nayara had continued those operations without direct interference from sanctions.

The European Union has reached a long-term trade agreement with Ukraine, marking the end of wartime trade liberalisation measures, though key details of the deal remain undisclosed.

EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic and Agriculture Commissioner Christophe Hansen announced the agreement on June 30, calling it a "predictable" and "reciprocal" framework. However, they did not reveal the final quotas or volumes included in the deal. Sefcovic noted that the finer points would be finalised "in the coming days."

The new deal replaces the autonomous trade measures (ATMs) that allowed Ukrainian agri-food exports to enter the EU tariff-free since 2022. Those temporary measures expired on June 5, reinstating pre-war trade conditions for a brief period.

Structured in three tiers, the new framework introduces modest increases in quotas for products considered sensitive by EU member states, such as eggs, poultry, sugar, wheat, maize, and honey. A second group of products—including butter, skimmed milk powder, oats, barley, malt, and gluten—will see their quotas adjusted to reflect peak import levels reached since the start of the war. A third category, which includes items such as whole milk powder, fermented milk, mushrooms, and grape juice, will be fully liberalised.

Once finalised, the text of the agreement will be submitted to the Council for ratification.

Sefcovic said negotiations concluded over the weekend, less than a month after formal talks began. However, some critics claim the EU delayed the process to avoid backlash from farmers ahead of Poland’s presidential election.

The agreement also benefits EU producers, granting them greater access to the Ukrainian market for goods like pork, poultry, and sugar. But Hansen made it clear that expanded access for Ukrainian exports will depend on Ukraine’s compliance with EU agricultural standards by 2028, including rules on animal welfare and pesticide use. "This commitment also fits perfectly with Ukraine's EU accession path," he said.

The deal includes safeguard provisions, allowing the EU or individual member states to restrict imports if domestic markets face serious disruptions. “Both EU and Ukrainian producers deserve a stable and predictable basis for the future development of bilateral trade,” Hansen added.

Smashing previous monthly record, Russia launches 5,337 kamikaze drones against Ukraine during June

Russia launched a record 5,337 Shahed-type drones against Ukraine in June, according to data from the Ukrainian Air Force and Dragon Capital, smashing the previous record of 4,198 set in March. Russia’s bombardments, a fact of life after three years of full-scale war, have intensified dramatically in May

The Kyiv IndependentYuliia Taradiuk