The US Senate has advanced a measure to impose sanctions on Russian officials and authorize stiff tariffs on countries that are major consumers of Russian energy, including India, Japan, and some countries in the European Union.
Background
The bill, known as the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, aims to increase economic pressure on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine. It also includes expanded sanctions on Iran sought by President Donald Trump.
The legislation would allow President Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100% on countries that are major consumers of Russian energy, and leave it to his discretion to lift them. The bill’s backers insist that the tariffs are narrow enough that they would do their intended job of reducing Russian energy revenue without negative consequences.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has expressed his gratitude for the sanctions legislation, saying it would hit Russia’s ability to finance the war and send a powerful signal about US support for the Ukrainian people.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
