Bangladesh, July 15 -- In a notable shift that underscores the reassertion of executive authority in US foreign policy, the Senate has put a temporary freeze on a hardline sanctions bill targeting Russia and its trading partners, awaiting President Donald Trumps next move in the escalating standoff over the Ukraine conflict. The legislation, spearheaded by Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), would impose crippling 500 percent secondary tariffs on any nation continuing to import key commodities like oil, gas, and uranium from Moscow.

The proposal was widely interpreted as an attempt to strong-arm countries into cutting economic ties with Russia by threatening massive penalties. Graham described the bill as giving...