US House passes Russia sanctions bill named after late Senator Graham; Trump expected to sign
The US House of Representatives passed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 during the night of September 17 Kyiv time, by 262 votes to 159. The bill imposes sanctions on Russia's leadership, oligarchs and their families, banking and energy companies, and the shadow fleet, and authorizes the US President to impose tariffs of up to 100% on the top five buyers of Russian oil and gas. Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha welcomed the move as the "right response" to Russian terror.
Key points
- House of Representatives passed the bill the night of September 17 Kyiv time, 262 to 159.
- Senate had passed it in August, 86 to 11.
- Bill imposes sanctions on Russia's leadership, oligarchs and families, banking and energy firms, and the shadow fleet.
- It also authorizes tariffs of up to 100% on the top five buyers of Russian oil and gas — a provision that could affect China and India.
- Bill is named after the late Senator Lindsey Graham, who promoted it and died in July.
- It still needs to be signed by President Donald Trump before taking effect.
- Bill continues existing sanctions against Iran.
Why it matters
The legislation is the most significant US sanctions package aimed at Russia since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It combines direct measures — sanctions on Russia's leadership, oligarchs and families, banks, energy companies and the shadow fleet — with a mechanism to pressure third-country buyers of Russian energy through tariffs of up to 100%. If signed by President Trump, it gives Washington a new lever against countries, including China and India, that have continued to purchase Russian oil and gas, and against firms that help Russia circumvent sanctions.
What happened
The House of Representatives passed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 during the night of September 17 Kyiv time, with 262 members voting in favor and 159 against. The bill requires the US administration to sanction Russia's top leadership, so-called oligarchs and their families, companies in the banking and energy sectors, and vessels of the Russian shadow fleet. It also gives the President authority to impose tariffs of up to 100% on goods from countries that are among the top five buyers of Russian oil and gas — a provision that could apply to China and India — and continues existing sanctions against Iran. The Senate had already passed the bill in August by 86 to 11. The bill is named after its original promoter, Senator Lindsey Graham, after his death in July, and has been sent to President Donald Trump for signature. The White House confirmed Trump plans to sign it.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian reporting led with Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha's morning welcome of the law, framing it as the "right response" to Russia's refusal to stop its terror and as uncompromising pressure meant to deprive Moscow's war machine of financing. Presidential sanctions policy commissioner Vladyslav Vlasiuk told Ukrinform that Russia still earns significant revenue from energy sales through third countries and that this money funds missile and drone production, foreign-component purchases and compensation for battlefield losses. He added that Ukraine's strikes on Russian oil refining are already hurting the sector, and that sanctions matter because of Russian-Iranian military-industrial cooperation and shared supply channels. He cautioned that the sanctions will not mean an immediate end to the war but a gradual reduction of Russia's ability to sustain its current battlefield intensity.
How international sources describe it
The bill triggered sharp reactions from the countries most exposed to its tariff provisions. China's foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said Beijing's cooperation with Moscow is not directed against any third party and should not be disrupted under third-party pressure, and that China opposes extraterritorial jurisdiction without a basis in international law or UN Security Council authority — a statement that came a week before a planned Xi Jinping–Trump summit in Washington. India's Ministry of External Affairs said it had noted the law's passage, had raised the issue with US partners in recent months and "very clearly" expressed its position on potential consequences for bilateral relations and the international energy market; it pledged to protect its trade and economic interests and to work with industry to address the fallout. India is the world's third-largest oil importer and one of the largest buyers of Russian oil, and has resisted pressure to reduce that trade on energy-security grounds. Germany's foreign minister Johann Wadephul welcomed the bill as a clear signal to Russia and said any company involved in Russia's war could now be subject to US sanctions. Russia's response came from Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who said Russia is following the bill's progress, that additional US sanctions would complicate efforts to find a peaceful settlement in Ukraine, and that the approval was an "unfriendly step."
Background
The Senate passed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 in August by 86 to 11, after the bill was promoted by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who died in July and after whom the legislation is now named; the bill was originally co-sponsored with Senator Richard Blumenthal. Many individuals covered by the bill's definitions were already under US sanctions, and the bill does not name specific companies. The administration retains broad discretion over delays and exceptions to the sanctions regime.