Overview

• The bipartisan Senate bill would impose 500% tariffs on countries continuing to purchase Russian oil and gas to cut off funding for Putin’s war effort in Ukraine.
• White House officials have privately urged Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal to include waivers allowing the president to select targets for sanctions.
• The administration has proposed changing the bill’s language from “shall” to “may,” a shift that aides warn would strip the legislation of its enforcement power.
• Despite support from more than 80 co-sponsors, the bill faces potential rollback following direct intervention from President Trump, who insists on preserving presidential flexibility.
• Private negotiations between the White House and bill authors are ongoing as Senate leaders weigh amendments that critics say would leave Russia’s energy exports largely unchecked.