Senators signaled on Monday that they were closing in on a deal on Russia sanctions.

Lawmakers have been locked in talks for roughy a week about adding new financial penalties on Russia, limiting President Trump's ability to lift current sanctions or both. The Russia measure would be added to a separate Iran bill that is on the Senate floor.

"We hope that by tonight we might be able to have an agreement on an amendment. If we don't, we'll continue to work," Cardin told reporters.

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Senators are expected to pass the Iran sanctions bill, including any deal on Russia, this week. Lawmakers have been tightlipped about the details of their negotiations, which have sparked a frenzy of meetings around Capitol Hill.

Negotiators are using a handful of bills that would add new Russia sanctions, as well as allow Congress to block Trump from lifting current penalties, as a framework for the talks.

Cardin said he wants the bill to include "clear direction for the president on sanctions" and new tools to review and block Trump from lifting sanctions.

"Democrats feel strongly that Russia sanctions should move alongside Iran sanctions and we're prepared to do what we can to make sure that we get a vote on a good amendment," he said.

The Trump administration has sent mixed signals on Russia, and Trump's warmer tone toward Moscow has drawn bipartisan backlash.

Gary Cohn, director of the White House National Economic Council, said last month that the administration wouldn't weaken sanctions, adding "if anything we could probably look to get tougher."

Cohn's comments were a clarification of his earlier comments that the president didn't have a position on Russia sanctions.

But the administration has also sparked concern over reports that it could hand back two diplomatic compounds in the United States to Russia.