President Donald Trump greets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House on Aug. 18, 2025 in Washington. (Getty Images)
Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told Fox News Digital in a statement that "America's strength and leadership" was on full display under Trump.
"European nations are also stepping up to join us in this show of strength to Vladimir Putin," the Wyoming Republican said. "The killing needs to stop. A longstanding, verifiable peace between Ukraine and Russia is going to be good for Ukraine, Russia, Europe, and the United States."
But some lawmakers agree that, should a deal not be reached, crippling sanctions are the next best step.
'GAME CHANGER': BIPARTISAN SENATORS GUNNING FOR RUSSIA SANCTIONS READY TO GIVE TRUMP RUNWAY
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen speaks during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing to examine U.S.-Russia policy at the U.S. Capitol on Dec. 7, 2021 in Washington. (Alex Brandon-Pool/Getty Images)
Still, Senate Democrats were not satisfied with the end of the meeting and ahead of Trump’s second high-stakes summit with Zelenskyy and demanded that Congress move ahead with a sanctions package.
Sen. Jean Shaheen, the top ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said if Trump doesn’t act, "Congress must do so decisively by passing crushing sanctions when we return in the coming weeks."
"I will also continue to press for my bipartisan legislation to bolster Ukraine’s defense and negotiating position with additional security assistance and my bipartisan bill to go after Russia’s enablers in China," the New Hampshire Democrat said. "There is no appetite in Congress to entertain a relationship with Russia while Putin continues to kidnap Ukrainian children and murder innocent civilians."
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And as for the meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy, lawmakers wanted to see a path toward peace.
"The interests of the American people should come first, and that means finding a path to a negotiated peace," Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "Peace is also in the best interests of the Ukrainian people, who have been unjustly used as pawns in a proxy war even as they heroically resisted Russian aggression. One way or another, Americans should not send one dollar more to prolong this disastrous conflict."
And Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said in a statement to Fox News Digital that he was "glad that President Trump is engaging directly with President Zelenskyy and European leaders at the White House today to discuss Russia’s war in Ukraine."
"Any decisions regarding next steps must involve these key leaders — they can’t be dictated by Putin’s bloodthirsty regime," he said.
Alex Miller is a writer for Fox News Digital covering the U.S. Senate.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/senate-signals-readiness-hit-russia-hard-sanctions-peace-deal-fails