Zelenskyy's office reveals what's inside Graham's Russia sanctions bill
Photo: US President Donald Trump (Getty Images)
The sanctions bill introduced by Lindsey Graham does not contain a fixed package of restrictions. Instead, it gives US President Donald Trump the flexibility to choose which pressure tools to use against Russia, states Ukrainian President's Commissioner for Sanctions Policy Vladyslav Vlasyuk during a national telethon live broadcast.
"Overall, it's essentially a sanctions menu from which President Trump will have to choose specific measures and decide how to apply them," he said.
Vlasyuk noted that the bill includes a broad range of potential restrictions, including:
- Tariffs and duties on countries and companies that purchase Russian oil;
- Sanctions targeting suppliers to Russia's military-industrial complex;
- Restrictions on the financial sector and banking services;
- A ban on financial investments and sanctions against Russian state-owned companies.
"So there is plenty to choose from. The bill is comprehensive and offers a very wide range of different tools," the presidential commissioner stressed.
'Bone crushing' sanctions against Russia
On July 28, the US Senate approved a bill to tighten sanctions against Russia and Iran. One of its co-authors was late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham.
During his visit to the United States, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with more than 60 senators. According to him, the new sanctions bill is important not only as a tool to increase pressure on the Kremlin but also as a strong signal to Europe.
According to media reports, it was Zelenskyy, together with Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who persuaded US lawmakers to back the initiative for "bone crushing" sanctions against Russia.
However, the legislation has not yet been fully passed. It still requires another vote in the Senate, which is expected before August, after which it will move to the House of Representatives.
Vladyslav Vlasyuk also said that the US Congress could give final approval to the "bone crushing" sanctions bill against Russia as early as the beginning of autumn.
