WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Republican leader of the U.S. Senate said on Monday the chamber could begin work this month on a bill imposing stiff sanctions on Russia - and secondary sanctions on countries that trade with Russia - over its war in Ukraine.

The U.S. Senate is set to move ahead next week with a bill imposing more sanctions on Russia over its three-year-old war in Ukraine, Senator Lindsey Graham said on Friday after talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

I would expect next week that the Senate will start moving the sanctions bill,” said Graham, an ally of President Trump but also a firm backer of Ukraine’s war efforts.