KABUL (Pajhwok): US President Donald Trump has signed into law a sweeping sanctions package targeting Russia over its war in Ukraine, days after Congress sent the legislation to the White House with rare bipartisan support.
Signed on Friday, the legislation, known as the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, honors the late Republican senator who spent more than a year negotiating the bill before his sudden death in July. The legislation was co-authored by Graham and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal.
According to Al Jazeera, the law imposes sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin, senior officials and oligarchs, as well as Russian banks and financial institutions.
It also targets Russia’s energy and defense sectors and the so-called shadow fleet of tankers used to transport Russian oil in an effort to circumvent Western sanctions.
A key provision authorizes Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on the five largest buyers of Russian oil and gas. The measure is expected to affect China and India most heavily, as they are the two largest importers of Russian crude.
The legislation separately extends sanctions targeting Iran’s energy and weapons sectors.
The bill passed the Senate last month and the House of Representatives on Wednesday, with 58 Democrats joining Republicans in supporting the measure.
It is the first major Ukraine-related legislation to pass Congress in more than two years.
Supporters say the law is intended to cut off funds sustaining Russia’s war effort and pressure Putin to enter negotiations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who had lobbied lawmakers ahead of the vote, described the legislation as “an extremely powerful tool.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson said the bill imposed “maximum pressure” on what he called “the Russian war machine.” Blumenthal said he hoped the measure would help bring Moscow to the negotiating table, telling Putin: “We have your number.”
However, not all Democrats supported the legislation. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries opposed the bill, warning that its tariff provisions could increase costs for American families and arguing that its sanctions measures contained “loopholes.”
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