Congress approved Wednesday broad new sanctions championed by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., designed to squeeze Russia over its war in Ukraine, sending the legislation to President Donald Trump after months of delay. The Republican-led House passed the package by 262-159, giving a final congressional green light to the most substantial U.S. legislative effort against Russia since Trump returned to office. Trump has said he will sign the measure, which sailed through the Senate in an 86-11 vote last month.
The legislation targets Russia’s energy and defense sectors, President Vladimir Putin and other senior officials, as well as Moscow’s shadow fleet of tankers used to circumvent Western sanctions. It also gives Trump authority to impose tariffs of up to 100% on major buyers of Russian oil and gas – including potentially China and India – to choke off revenue financing Moscow’s war efforts. But its sweeping tariff powers produced an unusual split among Democrats, who overwhelmingly support Ukraine but have resisted handing Trump greater authority over trade. Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, called the bill “deeply flawed.”
