The US Senate passed the Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia Act in an 86-11 bipartisan vote on Friday. The legislation aims to increase economic pressure on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine by punishing Russia and the countries that purchase its petroleum exports.
The bill was led and negotiated by the late Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican who died last month. An outspoken ally of Kyiv throughout the four-year war, Graham spent his final days working to advance the measure, which now honors his efforts.
The sweeping package imposes sanctions on Russian officials, oligarchs, financial institutions, and the shadow fleet used to evade oil export restrictions. It authorizes President Donald Trump to set tariffs of up to 500% on Russian imports, including gas and oil, and implements aggressive economic sanctions such as a 100 percent tariff on Russian oil and gas importers. The bill specifically targets top buyers such as China and India to deprive Putin of revenues fueling the war, and includes extended sanctions on Iran.
Having cleared the Senate after more than a year of effort, the bill now heads to the House. A vote in the House is not expected to take place until at least early September.