A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has reached agreement on the final version of a bill introducing new sanctions against Russia and Iran. The legislation would allow additional restrictions to be imposed on the largest buyers of Russian energy exports. Bloomberg reported this on July 28.
According to the report, the bill authorizes U.S. President Donald Trump to impose tariffs on the five largest importers of Russian crude oil and natural gas, as well as on the five countries considered to be helping Russia circumvent energy sanctions. The initiative, originally championed by the late Senator Lindsey Graham, has received Trump’s backing.
The legislation also extends existing sanctions against Iran and includes separate measures targeting Russia’s oil and gas exports.
Bloomberg notes that although the bill has been strongly supported by lawmakers backing Ukraine, it could complicate already fragile U.S. trade relations with China and India, which remain the largest purchasers of Russian energy resources.
A procedural vote in the Senate is scheduled for the evening of July 28. However, because the House of Representatives has already begun its August recess, the bill is not expected to receive final approval or take effect before September.
On the same day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Washington. He is scheduled to meet first with Donald Trump and later with senators supporting the sanctions legislation.
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