US House passes Russia sanctions bill with tariffs of up to 100 per cent
The bipartisan measure has cleared both chambers of Congress but still requires President Donald Trump’s signature.
The US House of Representatives has passed a bipartisan bill targeting Russia over its war in Ukraine, sending the measure to President Donald Trump after it was approved by the Senate.
The House voted 262 to 159, with 58 Democrats joining most Republicans. The legislation would allow the president to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on countries importing Russian energy, including China and India.
It would also impose sanctions on Russian officials, banks and tanker operators involved in moving Russian energy. The measure’s practical implementation, including how the tariff and sanctions powers would be used, remains unclear in the supplied material.
Al Jazeera reported that the bill followed more than a year of congressional delays and was being characterised as the first US congressional legislation supporting Ukraine in more than two years. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had lobbied for its passage.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries opposed the bill, warning that its tariff authorities and other provisions could be used against US allies. Supporters, including Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, presented it as a means of increasing pressure on Russia.
Trump is expected to sign the legislation, but presidential approval had not been confirmed in the supplied material.
