US senator says 'sledgehammer' Russia sanctions could pass next month

US Senator Richard Blumenthal said he hopes the House of Representatives will pass a bill imposing sweeping sanctions on Russia as early as next month.

According to Blumenthal, the bill has significant support among Republicans in the House of Representatives. In early August, the bill reached the House of Representatives.

A "sledgehammer" for Putin

The senator said the bill should become a powerful tool for pressuring Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"Putin understands only force. And the Russia sanctions bill is a sledgehammer ​that can have the kind of force Putin understands," Blumenthal said.

The bill provides for sanctions against senior Russian officials. In addition, it would give US President Donald Trump the ability to impose tariffs of up to 100% on the largest buyers of Russian oil and gas.

This includes China and India. Such a mechanism is intended to reduce the revenue Moscow receives from energy exports and uses to finance the war against Ukraine.

Democrats had concerns

Despite broad support for the sanctions among Democrats, some members of the party expressed concerns about the powers the bill would grant Trump, the agency noted.

In particular, there were concerns about the possibility of imposing additional tariffs on US allies.

Blumenthal said the exemptions provided for in the bill would prevent tariffs from being imposed on European allies. According to him, this should address some of the concerns raised by Democrats in Congress.

Context of the statement

On the bill on August 7, the Senate approved "bone-crushing" sanctions against Russia and Iran. It was then that the bill was sent to the House of Representatives.

According to sources, the United States is also preparing another package of tough sanctions that could be introduced as early as September 2026.

Ukrainian authorities believe these restrictions could prove tougher than the European Union's current sanctions.