The US Senate has overwhelmingly approved a bipartisan sanctions bill aimed at increasing pressure on Russia over its war in Ukraine, advancing legislation that had been championed for more than a year by the late Senator Lindsey Graham. The measure, passed on Friday by 86 votes to 11, seeks to weaken Russia’s economic ability to sustain the war launched by President Vladimir Putin in 2022. The conflict has claimed thousands of civilian lives and remains Europe’s deadliest war in decades.
Named in honour of the late South Carolina Republican, the bill proposes tough sanctions on senior Russian political and military leaders, financial institutions and energy projects. It also targets countries that continue purchasing Russian oil and natural gas by allowing President Donald Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on major buyers, including China and India. The legislation also expands sanctions on Iran and targets Russia’s ageing fleet of reflagged oil tankers used to bypass existing restrictions.
The bill includes exemptions for countries importing less than 15 per cent of their natural gas from Russia if they are actively reducing those purchases. It also gives the President authority to waive sanctions if it is certified to Congress that doing so is in the US national interest.
Shortly before his death, Graham met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and announced that he had reached an agreement with the White House to back the sanctions package after months of negotiations. Graham, who had recently returned from Ukraine, died suddenly the following day, reportedly from an aortic tear. In recognition of his efforts, Senate colleagues decided to name the legislation after him.
Zelenskyy visited Capitol Hill hours after Graham’s funeral, meeting senators from both parties before watching from the gallery as the Senate began procedural votes on the bill last week.
According to reports, speaking before the final vote, Senator Darline Graham, who was appointed to complete her brother’s term, said, “My late brother Lindsey was a foreign policy and national security expert. He was also a peacemaker who was determined to bring an end to the conflict in Ukraine.”
She stressed that cutting Russia’s energy earnings was central to the bill’s objective. “The war against Ukraine is primarily funded by the revenue Russia rakes in from energy sales. Without these profits, the ability to fund the war would be crippled. This legislation hits Putin where it hurts.”
Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, who worked closely with Graham on the legislation, described the vote as a strong message to both Kyiv and Moscow.
“Today, President Zelenskyy is watching from Ukraine, and Putin is watching from Moscow,” Blumenthal said.
“I would like to think Lindsey Graham is watching, too. Today we say to the people of Ukraine: You are not alone. And today we say to Vladimir Putin: You will not conquer Ukraine.”
The legislation marks the Senate’s strongest move yet during President Trump’s second term to reinforce US support for Ukraine and increase economic pressure on Russia.
Although President Trump has expressed support for the package, it must still be approved by the House of Representatives before reaching his desk for final approval. House Speaker Mike Johnson has also backed the proposal, but its passage is expected to face resistance from some Democrats and a handful of Republicans who remain concerned about granting the President broad tariff powers and the potential impact on inflation and consumer prices.
