Overview
- Sen. Lindsey Graham said after a White House meeting that President Trump greenlit the sanctions push, and a White House official confirmed the president’s support.
- The bill would require at least 500% U.S. duties on imports from countries that knowingly trade in Russian-origin petroleum or uranium, explicitly singling out major buyers such as China, India and Brazil.
- It authorizes secondary sanctions and would also ban U.S. energy exports to Russia while curbing U.S. investment in Russia’s energy sector.
- Graham said a Senate vote could come as early as next week; the measure has about 84 co-sponsors, though final text and floor timing are still being negotiated.
- U.S. forces boarded a tanker in the North Atlantic on the same day, underscoring stepped-up enforcement that could increase diplomatic friction with third countries.