US Senate approves Lindsey Graham sanctions bill targeting Russian energy revenues
The US Senate has passed the “Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026” by a vote of 86–11, marking a significant escalation in economic pressure on Moscow. The bill now moves to the House of Representatives, where its passage faces uncertainty due to concerns over executive power and domestic energy costs.
The United States Senate has passed an aggressive sanctions package targeting Russia’s energy revenues amid its ongoing invasion of Ukraine. The legislation, dubbed the “Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026”, sets 100 per cent tariffs on major nations importing Russian oil and gas. It further targets clandestine maritime networks used to evade Western embargoes. The Senate voted 86–11 to pass the bill, which now heads to the House of Representatives.
A vote in the 435-seat lower chamber will not take place until at least early September due to the congressional summer recess. The bill was named after Senator Lindsey Graham, the Republican senator who died on 11 July and had strongly advocated for new sanctions against Moscow. The day before his death, Graham, along with a bipartisan group of senators, announced they had secured the White House’s approval to pass new sanctions on Russian hydrocarbons. The measures had previously been blocked by President Donald Trump.
Republican Jim Risch, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, argued the legislation would cut off the flow of cash that powers President Vladimir Putin’s war machine. “This could finally bring Russia to the negotiating table and end this conflict between Russia and Ukraine,” Risch said in a speech on the Senate floor before the vote. He added that the measure would make a decisive impact that goes beyond what can be achieved on the battlefield.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the move, stating that strong American pressure and sanctions are crucial to ending the war. In a post on the social media platform X, Zelenskyy explicitly extended his gratitude across political lines, noting that Ukraine deeply appreciates the continuous support from both parties and the entire American people. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also expressed support, urging collective action to drain Russia’s means to continue the conflict.
However, several House members have expressed reservations about the bill, suggesting that passage in the lower chamber could be more difficult. Democratic Representatives Gregory Meeks and Don Beyer called the version adopted on Friday “unacceptable”, warning that the new tariff powers could be used without restraint by Trump. The Russian Embassy in Washington, DC, had previously condemned the legislation, citing potential counterproductive effects on US energy prices ahead of midterm elections and pointing to knock-on energy constraints from the US-Israel war on Iran.
Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, added in a statement that the bill sent an unambiguous and bipartisan message in the only language Putin understands: pressure. Graham’s sister, Darline Graham Nordone, who has been appointed to fill his seat in the Senate, said the bill “hits Putin where it hurts”.
