Overview
- Sen. Lindsey Graham said President Donald Trump approved advancing the sanctions package after a White House meeting, and a White House official confirmed the president’s support to the Associated Press.
- The proposal authorizes secondary sanctions on countries that buy Russian oil, gas, uranium and other exports, with Graham citing China, India and Brazil as likely targets.
- The bill, known as the Sanctioning of Russia Act 2025, includes penalties on individuals and entities and would raise duties on Russian imports to at least 500%.
- The measure has dozens of Senate co-sponsors, with reports citing 84 backers, and a House companion bill from Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, though floor timing remains uncertain.
- Negotiators have been working for months on provisions to preserve presidential flexibility, and the push comes alongside U.S. efforts to broker a Ukraine peace deal led by envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.