US Senate Overwhelmingly Passes Russia Sanctions Bill Targeting Major Energy Buyers
Public Lokpal
August 08, 2026
US Senate Overwhelmingly Passes Russia Sanctions Bill Targeting Major Energy Buyers
The US Senate has overwhelmingly passed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 in an 86-11 vote.
The bipartisan legislation aims to choke off Moscow's war funding by authorizing the U.S. President to impose import tariffs of up to 100% on the top five global importers of Russian oil and natural gas.
Major economies heavily reliant on Russian energy, including China, India, Slovakia, Hungary, and Azerbaijan, are in the primary crosshairs of the punitive tariff provisions.
While the package also broadens financial and banking sanctions against Russia and extends restrictions on Iran, the final Senate text incorporates discretionary national interest waivers.
This grants the executive branch flexibility to bypass or modify penalties.