Patience is running out: The USA has sent a clear signal to Putin.

Sanctions by the USA against the Russian Federation may be strengthened, - Marco Rubio

The U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the Senate is ready to adopt a new large-scale sanctions package against Russia if there is no progress in the ceasefire negotiations in Ukraine in the near future. Rubio reported this in an interview with CBS News.

In his comments, the Secretary of State noted that the USA is trying to determine whether the Russian side is indeed serious about ending hostilities or just dragging out the negotiation process. He emphasized that during a recent meeting in Turkey, the delegations of Ukraine and Russia agreed to exchange proposals regarding the ceasefire, and Washington expects these documents to contain 'realistic and reasonable' positions.

'We do not want to be involved in endless talks – progress is needed,' - Rubio stressed in the interview.

The Secretary of State also stated that Washington's patience has limits, and a new sanctions bill is already being prepared in Congress, initiated by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham. According to Rubio, this bill will have support from about 80 senators, which will allow overcoming a possible presidential veto.

'The Senate will ultimately act. For several weeks now – about six or seven – we have been conveying to the Russian side that this initiative continues. We expect that when everything is ready, there will be about 80 co-sponsors in the Senate. This is a process we cannot stop. And this is simply a fact we have warned the Russians about for several weeks', - Rubio emphasized.

The Secretary of State warned that if Russia continues to put forward unacceptable conditions and drags out negotiations without a real intention to reach a compromise, the Senate will act independently – regardless of the position of the White House.

Earlier, Rubio had a phone conversation with Lavrov and conveyed a message from Trump.