Trump approves broad Russia sanctions over Ukraine conflict

Trump approves broad Russia sanctions over Ukraine conflict

US President Donald Trump has signed a broad new sanctions law aimed at Russia over its continued war in Ukraine, only days after Congress approved the measure with unusual bipartisan backing.

The legislation, signed on Friday and titled the Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, commemorates the late Republican senator who spent more than a year helping negotiate the proposal before his unexpected death in July. Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal co-authored the bill.

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The measure imposes sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin, high-ranking government figures and wealthy oligarchs, as well as Russian banks and other financial entities. It also focuses on Russia’s energy and military industries, alongside the so-called shadow fleet of tankers used to transport Russian oil in defiance of Western restrictions.

One of its central provisions authorises Trump to impose tariffs of as much as 100 percent on the five biggest purchasers of Russian oil and gas. The move is likely to have the greatest impact on China and India, which are the leading buyers of Russian crude. The legislation also expands sanctions involving Iran’s energy and arms sectors.

The Senate approved the bill last month, followed by the House on Wednesday, where 58 Democrats joined Republicans in voting for it.

It is the first significant Ukraine-related legislation to win congressional approval in more than two years.

Backers argue that the law is intended to cut off funding supporting the Kremlin’s military campaign and encourage Putin to enter negotiations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who had urged lawmakers to support the bill before the vote, described it as “an extremely powerful tool”.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said the legislation would apply “maximum pressure” to what he called “the Russian war machine”. Blumenthal said he hoped the new measures would push Moscow towards talks, telling Putin: “We have your number.”

Some Democrats opposed the proposal. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries warned that its tariff provisions could increase costs for US households and argued that the sanctions section contained too many “loopholes”.

India, among the countries most vulnerable to the threatened tariffs, said this week that it “remains firmly committed to ensuring energy security for its 1.4 billion people”.

Trump signed the measure roughly a week before he is expected to welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping to the White House.

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