US 'bone-crushing' Russia sanctions bill agreed with White House, senator says
The text of a US bill imposing sweeping new sanctions on Russia has been agreed with the Trump administration. Congress is now expected to pass it, the bill's author, Senator Lindsey Graham, said at a briefing in Kyiv.
'Bone-crushing' Russia sanctions bill
The document, which Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal have been working on for nearly two years, is intended to give President Donald Trump additional tools to bring Russia's war against Ukraine to an end as quickly as possible.
The bill would authorize the US President to impose tariffs and tough restrictions on:
- any country that continues to purchase Russian oil and gas;
- foreign companies and governments that help the Kremlin evade existing sanctions.
Graham announced that they had reached an agreement with the White House about 30 minutes ago on a version of the Russian sanctions bill that the administration would support, meaning it would become law.
According to the senator, he plans to discuss the initiative with Republican and Democratic leaders to advance it in Congress. This would provide Trump with the necessary tools to help bring the Russian war against Ukraine to an end.
A formula to end the war
Graham said the United States could help Ukraine defend itself against ballistic missile attacks.
He argued that taking that step, alongside implementing tools to penalize countries supporting Putin and profiting from the war, would offer the best chance to bring Putin to the negotiating table.
The senator added that he knows which countries continue to buy Russian oil and gas and help Moscow circumvent sanctions.
Graham added that upon his return, they would hold talks with those nations and President Trump in an effort to get them to help end the war. He emphasized that he was more optimistic than ever that they now had a formula to stop the conflict.
What does Graham's bill entail?
The Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025, also known as the Graham-Blumenthal bill, was introduced in the US Congress in April 2025.
The document proposes sweeping restrictions against Russian oligarchs and banks, a ban on US investment in Russia's energy sector, and 500% tariffs on Russian goods imported by third countries that continue purchasing Russian energy exports.
Although the bill has the backing of 85 out of 100 senators, its consideration was delayed as lawmakers waited for Donald Trump's approval.
At the end of June last year, reports also indicated that a compromise on the legislation had been reached with the White House.
More details are available in RBC-Ukraine's report.
