Senate Advances Russia Sanctions Bill Amid Zelenskyy Visit

A Strong Bipartisan Vote
Senators voted 86-12 to advance the measure in a procedural step, showing broad support across both parties. The bill is designed to squeeze Russia economically by targeting its energy revenues, which help fund the ongoing war in Ukraine. It would also grant the president authority to impose tariffs as high as 100 percent on nations that continue buying large amounts of Russian oil and gas, including India, Japan, and several European Union countries. Whether and when to lift those tariffs would be left to presidential discretion.

President Donald Trump has voiced support for the bill, though he requested that sanctions targeting Iran be folded in as well, a request that was granted. That addition comes as America's conflict with Iran stretches into its sixth month.

While most Democrats back the sanctions themselves, some are uneasy about handing the president broad tariff powers, worried it could translate into higher prices for everyday goods. That tension could complicate the bill's path through the rest of the Senate and later the House, which won't reconvene until September. A senior House Democrat has criticized the tariff provisions as functioning more like a wide-reaching trade tool than a genuine sanctions package, cautioning that it risks raising costs for American households, including through friction with European allies. Supporters counter that the tariff measures are narrowly targeted, aimed specifically at cutting into the oil revenue that finances Russia's war effort without triggering broader economic fallout.

What Happens Next
The legislation, now formally named the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, still needs to clear additional procedural hurdles in the Senate before a final vote. From there, it heads to the House, where backers are hopeful it can pass sometime in the fall. One of the bill's co-sponsors, a Democratic senator from Connecticut who traveled to Ukraine alongside Graham on several occasions, expressed confidence that this version of the bill has the momentum and the presidential backing needed to actually become law.

Graham had revealed shortly before his unexpected death on July 11 that he and Trump had reached an understanding to finally push the bill through, more than a year after it was first introduced. Zelenskyy, who traveled to Washington both to attend Graham's funeral and to meet with Trump, said the sanctions would cut into Russia's capacity to bankroll the war while also sending a clear message of continued American support for Ukraine. He described the vote as reassuring not just for Ukraine, but as a signal of solidarity to Europe as well.

A group of senators backing the bill, including Graham's sister, who now holds his South Carolina seat on an interim basis while campaigning to keep it permanently, said the legislation would choke off the oil and gas revenue fueling Russian President Vladimir Putin's military campaign, while also limiting Iran's ability to fund terrorism and advance its nuclear program.

According to the bill's supporters, the tariff powers would apply only to the five countries importing the most Russian crude oil or gas, along with five additional nations found to be helping Russia dodge existing sanctions. The bill also includes a safeguard to prevent any gap in sanctions authority currently restricting funding tied to Iranian energy and weapons programs.