The U.S. Senate has overwhelmingly passed a bill aimed at penalising Russia and major purchasers of its petroleum products, including China and India, asserting that this trade contributes to sustaining the war in Ukraine.
The measure, now titled the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, passed the Senate with a vote of 86 to 11.
It authorises President Donald Trump to levy 100% tariffs on products originating from nations that rank among the five largest importers of Russian oil and gas.
Currently, China, India, Azerbaijan, Hungary, and Slovakia constitute the top five buyers of oil and gas from Russia.
In addition to imposing sanctions on Russia, the bill would extend the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996, a legislation that penalises companies investing in Iran’s energy sector so that it remains in effect until 2031.
The cross-party bill was led by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who died on July 11, alongside Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal.
Following Graham’s unexpected death after his visit to Kyiv, lawmakers from both parties intensified their efforts to pass the bill and pay tribute to the late Senator’s record as a supporter of Ukraine.
This law compels the major nations that bolsters Russia’s economy to face a harsh but crucial decision: either maintain their commercial ties with the United States or continue purchasing low-cost Russian energy," said Darline Graham, the late senator’s sister, who was appointed to fill her brother seat after his death.
It also aims to introduce sanctions against Russian leaders and officials, including President Vladimir Putin, oligarchs, and key financial institutions.
The bill will next be sent to the House of Representatives for approval when it reconvenes on August 31.
Democratic Representatives Gregory Meeks and Don Beyer have condemned the bill, arguing that it grants expansive new tariff powers that the president could freely exploit, as they say he has repeatedly done before.
We appreciate our Senate colleagues’ swift initiative to aid Ukraine and penalize Russia for its ongoing unlawful war, but this legislation would fail to meet those objectives.
Rather, it would enable President Trump to evade responsibility for holding Russia to account and to levy additional tariffs as part of his harmful trade conflicts, ultimately forcing Americans to bear the cost, the two leaders said.