The US Senate voted 86-12 on Tuesday to advance a sweeping sanctions package targeting Russia, delivering what senators described as a major setback for President Vladimir Putin as the war in Ukraine continues into its fifth year. The procedural vote came hours after the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, the bill’s chief architect, and immediately followed a personal appeal by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to senators behind closed doors. Zelenskyy watched the vote unfold from the Senate chamber.
The legislation, formally titled the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, authorizes President Trump to impose tariffs of up to 500 percent on Russian imports and up to 100 percent, according to some reports as high as 200 percent, on countries that continue purchasing Russian oil and natural gas, including major buyers such as China and India. Supporters have called the measure “bone-crushing” sanctions designed to force Moscow toward serious negotiations to end the war.
Beyond the tariff provisions, the bill expands sanctions on Russian financial institutions, government officials and oligarchs, and specifically targets the so-called “shadow fleet” of tankers Russia has used to evade existing Western restrictions on its oil exports. Lawmakers have described the shadow fleet as a critical loophole that has allowed Moscow to continue generating oil revenue despite years of sanctions pressure from the United States and its allies.
The bill also folds in an extension of existing sanctions on Iran, pushing their expiration date to 2031 and further restricting financing for Iran’s energy and weapons programs, linking pressure on Moscow with the broader campaign against Tehran amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
Tuesday’s vote was procedural, meaning additional Senate votes are required before the bill can be sent to the House of Representatives, but the lopsided bipartisan margin signaled strong momentum for final passage. Senate leaders have expressed hope that the House will move quickly once the bill clears the Senate, rather than allowing it to stall as some earlier sanctions proposals have.
If enacted, the legislation would represent the toughest sanctions package imposed on Russia since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, according to lawmakers who worked on the bill. The measure has been championed for months by Graham, who died recently, and colleagues have framed its advancement as a tribute to his efforts to keep pressure on Moscow even as ceasefire talks have periodically raised hopes of a negotiated settlement.
Zelenskyy’s appearance in Washington coincided with separate meetings with President Trump, during which the Ukrainian leader continued to press for both stronger sanctions on Russia and additional air defense support, as Russian missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian cities have continued largely unabated.
Sources: ABC News, RFE/RL, Brussels Signal
Author: Pulse Of Nations Wire Desk
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