US Senate advances sweeping energy sanctions on Russia during the US visit of Ukraine's Zelenskiy

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate on Tuesday advanced a sweeping Russian energy sanctions bill as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited the Capitol, with lawmakers viewing the vote as a tribute to the late Senator Lindsey Graham, the legislation’s author, on the day of his funeral.

Graham was one of Ukraine’s most vocal supporters in Congress during its four-year war against Russia. The proposed measure aims to increase economic pressure on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine by targeting Russian officials and restricting countries that continue to buy Russian energy.

The Senate voted 75-11 on a procedural measure to move the bill forward. The legislation would allow the United States to impose sanctions on Russian officials and apply steep tariffs on China, India, and other countries to reduce their dependence on Russian oil and gas.

President Donald Trump has expressed support for the measure after requesting the inclusion of sanctions on Iran, which were later added as the U.S. war against Iran entered its sixth month.

While Democrats largely support additional sanctions against Russia, some have raised concerns over the bill’s tariff provisions, warning they could increase import costs for Americans. Those concerns could affect the legislation’s chances of passing the Senate and the House of Representatives, which is set to return from recess in September.

If enacted, the bill would give Trump authority to impose tariffs of up to 100% on countries that are major buyers of Russian energy, including India, Japan, and some European Union nations. The president would also have the power to remove the tariffs.

Some Democrats have said they oppose the legislation, arguing that the tariff authority gives the president broad powers that could affect U.S. consumers and allies.

“This is not so much a sanctions bill as it is a massive backdoor authority for President Trump to impose more tariffs, including on our European allies, that hurt American families,” Representative Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said earlier this month.

Supporters of the bill argued that the tariffs are narrowly designed to reduce Russia’s energy revenues, which help fund its war in Ukraine.

“This is our best opportunity to support Ukraine, who are defending not just their country, but the rest of Europe, from an increasingly aggressive Russia,” Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said while urging lawmakers to support the measure.

A Senate Democratic aide said some senators from both parties remained concerned about the tariff provisions but may have avoided raising objections immediately to honor Graham on the day of his funeral.

Zelenskiy’s Washington Visit

Shortly before his death on July 11, Graham announced that he and Trump had agreed to move forward with the sanctions legislation after more than a year of negotiations.

Zelenskiy traveled to Washington to attend Graham’s funeral and meet with Trump. Lawmakers reached an agreement Tuesday to advance the measure, which has been renamed the “Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026.”

A bipartisan group of senators said the legislation would prevent revenue from foreign purchases of Russian oil and gas from supporting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war efforts. They also said the bill would restrict Iran’s ability to fund terrorism and expand its nuclear program.

The senators supporting the measure included Republican Darline Graham, Lindsey Graham’s sister, who was appointed on an interim basis to his South Carolina Senate seat and is seeking election to the position.

Lawmakers said the bill would allow the president to impose targeted tariffs on goods imported from countries that purchase large amounts of Russian energy or help Russia avoid sanctions.

The legislation limits those tariffs to the five largest importers of Russian crude oil or gas and the top five countries accused of helping Russia evade energy sanctions. It also includes a provision preventing the expiration of sanctions authority targeting Iranian energy and weapons funding. -Reporting by Patricia Zengerle and Timothy Gardner; Additional reporting by Andrea Shalal and David Lawder; Editing by Don Durfee and Cynthia Osterman/Reuters