The US Senate will vote Tuesday on Russian sanctions, days after Ukraine attacked an Iranian vessel in the Caspian Sea.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to meet United States President Donald Trump in the White House on Tuesday, a meeting that could coincide with the introduction of tough new sanctions on Russia.
Zelenskyy, who will attend the funeral of US Senator Lindsey Graham, is also scheduled to meet with the Senate on Tuesday evening, the Reuters news agency reported, citing two Senate aides.
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The vote on Russia sanctions, legislation that has been pending for months and was championed by Graham, could happen that same day.
If enacted, the Russian sanctions bill would ratchet up pressure on Moscow by imposing ۱۰۰ percent tariffs on goods from the five largest importers of Russian oil and gas, including China and India.
In a last-minute intervention, Trump sought to add sanctions on Iran to the same bill. Zelenskyy told Trump ally Laura Loomer last week that he thinks the move is a “great idea”.
Iran and Ukraine wars converge
The two wars, taking place roughly ۲,۵۰۰km (۱,۵۵۰ miles) apart, have converged in recent days.
On Saturday, Ukraine attacked an Iranian tanker in the Caspian Sea that Ukraine’s ambassador to Israel, Yevgen Korniychuk, said was carrying drones and military components from Iran to Russia. Iran has promised to retaliate.
By attacking Iranian ships, Kyiv is not only doing itself a favour but also attacking Washington’s “enemy number one”, which will please the US, former US ambassador to Kazakhstan and Georgia, William Courtney, told Al Jazeera.
But while Zelenskyy supports Iranian sanctions as part of the Russian sanctions bill, Ukraine is unlikely to want to be too closely associated with the “unpopular” US war on Iran, he added.
The US no longer provides direct financial aid to Ukraine for its war against the Russian invasion, but it still provides crucial intelligence for long-range strikes and sells weapons to Europe that are then passed on to Ukraine.
Trump-Zelenskyy relationship
While their relationship seemed tense during a heated exchange in the White House in February ۲۰۲۵, relations between Zelenskyy and Trump have improved significantly in recent months.
The two leaders agreed earlier this month to allow Ukraine to jointly produce Patriot air defence interceptors, a crucial component for the country’s defence against Russian aerial attacks.
Ukraine and the US are also moving closer to a deal on joint drone production, a move that could help the US catch up with Ukraine in this crucial military technology.
Ukraine is on track to produce ۶ to ۷ million short-range attack drones this year, while the Pentagon’s $۱.۱bn production programme will have ordered just under ۲۰۰,۰۰۰ drones cumulatively by February ۲۰۲۷.
Fighting continues
Heavy fighting continues on Ukraine’s front lines, and long-range strikes are taking place almost every day.
On Monday, Russian strikes on eastern Ukraine killed seven people and injured more than ۲۰, officials said.
In Russia’s Belgorod region, a Ukrainian drone struck a commercial building, killing one person and injuring two.
Fighting is heaviest in Ukraine’s Konstantinyvka and Pokrovsk directions, both of which are in the Donetsk region.
