Four US House lawmakers urge Trump not to ease Russia sanctions, push for "Graham Law"
Four members of the Congressional Ukraine Support Group — Marcy Kaptur, Brian Fitzpatrick, Mike Quigley, and Joe Wilson — sent a bipartisan letter to President Donald Trump urging him not to weaken sanctions against Russia and instead to apply the recently signed "Graham Law." The appeal responds to reports that the Trump administration was weighing easing sanctions and restoring economic ties to Moscow in exchange for Russia releasing political prisoners. The letter argues that loosening sanctions would embolden Russia and prolong the war, and calls for swift action to increase economic pressure on Moscow.
Key points
- The letter was signed by Marcy Kaptur, Brian Fitzpatrick, Mike Quigley, and Joe Wilson, co-chairs of the Congressional Ukraine Support Group / Ukrainian Caucus.
- It was published as a response to reports that the Trump administration was considering easing sanctions in exchange for the release of Russian-held political prisoners.
- The lawmakers urged Trump to apply the "Graham Law" and argued that weakening sanctions would embolden Russia and prolong the war.
- They called for swift action to raise economic pressure on Russia, stating that "peace in Europe can be achieved only through strength."
- The "Graham Law" sets 18 October 2026 as the deadline by which the US president must announce sanctions against Russia.
- The law authorizes tariffs of up to 100% on countries continuing to buy Russian energy and broadens restrictions on Russia's military leadership, financial and energy sectors, foreign suppliers, and "shadow fleet" vessels.
- The reporting that prompted the letter was an Atlantic article published on 29 September attributing the prisoner-exchange idea to Trump's special envoy for Eastern Europe, John Coale.
Why it matters
The letter signals bipartisan congressional resistance to any loosening of US sanctions on Russia while the war continues, and ties that resistance to a specific media-reported proposal to trade sanctions relief for the release of Russian-held political prisoners. With the "Graham Law" requiring the president to announce new sanctions by 18 October 2026, the appeal arrives at a politically charged moment, framing US economic leverage as essential to ending the war and warning that any rollback would embolden Moscow.
What happened
Four US House members — Marcy Kaptur, Brian Fitzpatrick, Mike Quigley, and Joe Wilson, co-chairs of the Congressional Ukraine Support Group — sent a bipartisan letter to President Donald Trump urging him not to weaken sanctions against Russia and instead to apply the recently enacted "Graham Law." The appeal came in response to reporting that the Trump administration was weighing a deal in which the US would ease sanctions and restore economic ties with Moscow in exchange for Russia releasing political prisoners. The lawmakers argued that loosening sanctions would embolden Russia and prolong the war, called for swift action to increase economic pressure on Moscow, and said "peace in Europe can be achieved only through strength." The letter was published on the X account of the Congressional Ukraine Support Group.
Background
In April 2025, Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal introduced a bill providing for a 500% tariff on imports from countries continuing to buy Russian oil and raw materials; in June 2025, The Wall Street Journal reported the Trump administration was trying to soften it. On 10 July 2026, during a visit to Kyiv, Graham said a revised version had been agreed with the White House; he died suddenly the next day. On 16 September the House of Representatives passed the bill, and President Trump signed it overnight on 18–19 September as the "Lindsey O. Graham Act on Imposing Sanctions against Russia and Iran of 2026." The law authorizes tariffs of up to 100% on countries still buying Russian energy, expands restrictions on Russia's military leadership, financial and energy sectors, foreign suppliers and "shadow fleet" vessels, and tightens export controls on goods usable for weapons production. Earlier, a group of Democratic senators had urged Trump to apply the law, and at the UN General Assembly he said he would do so if necessary. The Graham Law sets 18 October 2026 as the deadline by which the US president must announce new sanctions against Russia.