A bipartisan group of American senators has urged the swift passage of a bill imposing new sanctions on Russia, a piece of legislation meticulously developed over two years by the late Senator Lindsey Graham. The lawmakers are eager to see the bill enacted before Congress’s August recess and do not endorse the recently proposed amendments by U.S. President Donald Trump.
This stance was communicated by the senators during a joint press conference on July 14, as reported by a Suspilne correspondent.
The senators asserted that the bill has received White House approval, enjoys broad bipartisan backing, and requires no further revisions. They emphasized that the document is the culmination of nearly two years of negotiations, incorporating intricate technical mechanisms for sanctions, and thus, reopening it for new amendments would be unproductive.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson expressed his support for the bill.
“We have long supported the sanctions bill against Russia, and the vast majority of Republicans do. […] The Senate and the White House have devised a formula they believe will be effective, and we are happy to work on it,” he stated.
The senators’ remarks served as a response to President Trump’s suggestion that sanctions related to Iran or the Hezbollah group could be incorporated into the bill. Co-sponsor of the legislation, Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, affirmed that the U.S. President supports the bill but stressed the importance of passing it in its current form.
“The President has approved this bill, and we must move forward with it as is, rather than opening it up to other potential targets. If the administration wishes to propose separate legislative initiatives concerning Iran or Hezbollah, Congress can consider them independently,” Blumenthal remarked.
According to the senator, the bill is intended as a response to Russian attacks on Ukraine’s civilian population, and any delay would result in further casualties.
The senators also conveyed their confidence that the bill will be passed before the August recess. They indicated that Majority Leader John Thune is prepared to bring it to a vote as soon as the necessary number of votes is confirmed. The bill’s authors believe this level of support has already been secured.
The legislation mandates stringent sanctions against Russia, its corporations, oligarchs, and intermediaries, along with secondary sanctions and tariffs on major purchasers of Russian oil and gas. The senators highlighted that the scope of the bill was significantly narrowed during negotiations with the White House. While the initial draft allowed for tariffs on over 60 countries, the current version focuses on five principal oil importers and five natural gas importers, with some overlap. Furthermore, the bill introduces more precise exemption mechanisms from sanctions and expands the U.S. Trade Representative’s authority in setting specific tariff rates.
Additionally, the bill’s proponents disclosed that a dedicated section is included to combat Russia’s “shadow fleet”—a network of tankers utilized by Moscow to circumvent international sanctions and export oil. Senator Blumenthal noted that the revised version provides effective and targeted tools to curtail the activities of this fleet, thereby impeding Russia’s revenue generation from energy sales.
The senators also stated that passing the bill would serve as a tribute to Lindsey Graham, who was a principal advocate for intensifying sanctions against Russia and had finalized the bill’s text with the Trump administration shortly before his passing.
About Lindsey Graham
Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican, represented South Carolina in the U.S. Senate from 2003. He chaired the Budget Committee and was a member of the Appropriations, Judiciary, and Environment and Public Works committees. Prior to his Senate tenure, he served in the U.S. House of Representatives and dedicated over 30 years to service in the U.S. Air Force and Air Force Reserve.
The 71-year-old Graham passed away on July 11 in Washington, D.C. Preliminary reports suggest the cause of death was aortic dissection resulting from atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, according to his press office.
Prior to his sudden death, Graham was on a visit to Ukraine, where he toured the production facilities of defense company SkyFall, a drone manufacturer. During his trip, Graham also met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Source: suspilne.media