President Donald Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress are at a fork in the road as they decide on how to proceed with regard to a Ukraine-Russia war that appears to have no end in sight.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday was questioned on reports that arms shipments from the Department of Defense to Ukraine had been cut off. He affirmed that he intended to send Ukraine more weapons, a few months after he began to pursue peace efforts in the conflict.

“We’re going to send some more weapons. We have to,” he said. “[The Ukrainians] have to be able to defend themselves. They’re getting hit very hard now. They’re getting hit very hard. We’re going to have to send more weapons, defensive weapons primarily.”

At the Cabinet meeting, he also accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of not pursuing peace, as strikes on Ukraine have continued despite peace talks.

 “We’re not happy with Putin. I’m not happy with Putin, I can tell you that much right now. Because he’s killing a lot of people … . We get a lot of bulls–t thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth. He’s very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.”

The war is still raging, with Russia launching hundreds of drones in an attack on the Kyiv region of Ukraine that went into Wednesday.

President Trump on Russian President Vladimir Putin: “We get a lot of bullsh*t thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth. He’s very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.”

“I’m looking at [sanctions].” pic.twitter.com/xc1lfwjg13

— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) July 8, 2025

The Senate currently has a bill before it to introduce aggressive sanctions against Putin. On Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said he wished to move ahead with the measure.

“I hope that we can get it on the floor before the August recess. We are working with the administration, with the House, to try and get it in a form where it’s ready,” Thune said. 

Given the fact that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., also supports the bill, it might have a veto-proof majority if Trump were to oppose it.

However, Thune, who has been a team player since his election as Senate and GOP leader, is waiting on bringing the bill to the floor until Trump gives his thumbs up.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who determines the voting schedule on the Senate floor hopes to impose sanctions on Russia and its allies who fund the invasion of Ukraine through energy purchases within the next 2 weeks. https://t.co/rj0QucHbvQ pic.twitter.com/p9YWo5BAOh

— Igor Sushko (@igorsushko) July 9, 2025

“In my view, the sooner we can execute on that, the better. But I also understand that in order for this to work, it’s got to be something that the White House, the House, our colleagues are all bought in to,” the South Dakota lawmaker said.

Trump agrees. At the Cabinet meeting Tuesday, he would not make a final decision on the sanctions package, but suggested it was at his discretion.

“It’s an optional bill,” he said. “It’s totally at my option. They pass it totally at my option and to terminate totally at my option. And I’m looking at it very strongly.”