US Senate advances Russia sanctions tariff bill

The US Senate advanced the “Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026” this week in Washington by 86-12, a bill that could let President Donald Trump impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on major buyers of Russian energy.

The vote means the bill can proceed to the House of Representatives, though further action will be delayed because the House is in summer recess, Al Jazeera reported on July 31. The bill is named for the late Senator Lindsey Graham, described by Al Jazeera as a staunch Ukraine supporter who died unexpectedly this month.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was in Washington to attend Graham’s funeral, watched the Senate proceedings from the gallery. “It was an honour to be present as the votes were counted – 86 senators supported the bill,” Zelenskyy wrote on X, adding: “This is the first step towards implementing Lindsey [Graham]’s plans, and certainly a step towards peace.”

The bill targets Russia through sanctions and tariffs intended to cut off the economic pipeline sustaining the Ukraine war, according to Al Jazeera. Its provisions include new sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin, more than 20 top officials and companies linked to the Russian defence industry, Russia’s “shadow fleet” of oil tankers and networks used to evade energy sanctions.

The legislation would let the president invoke the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on exports to the US from the top five purchasers of Russian energy or military equipment, or from countries facilitating Russian sanctions evasion. It also allows tariffs of up to 500 percent on Russian imports directly into the US; Al Jazeera said the US imported $3.8bn in goods from Russia in 2025.

China, India and Türkiye are potential targets because they are among the largest buyers of Russian energy, according to data compiled by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air cited by Al Jazeera. David Smith, an associate professor at the University of Sydney’s US Studies Centre, said Trump’s request to add Iran-related tariff powers could slow the bill if Democrats resist broader authority over countries buying Iranian oil, while Senator Maggie Hassan said on X she does “not think tariffs, which are paid for by American businesses and consumers, will help Ukraine win”.