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US President Donald Trump signed into law a sweeping sanctions package targeting Russian officials and key pillars of its economy on Friday, that is meant to punish and pressure Moscow for its ongoing war against Ukraine.
The measure was a final legacy item for the late Senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally and friend of the president who had just returned from Ukraine when he unexpectedly died in July.
In the works for more than a year, the bill passed with large bipartisan margins; 86-11 in the Senate and 262-159 in the House.
It’s meant to starve Russian President Vladimir Putin of the resources Moscow needs to continue its war in Ukraine after invading its neighbour in February 2022.
The bill, co-drafted by Senator Richard Blumenthal, sanctions Russian officials, banks and a shadow fleet of tankers the Kremlin uses to evade existing Western sanctions and keep Russian energy moving.
“I wish Lindsey were here to celebrate this historic day. I know he would be so proud. Lindsey believed this bill, which he worked on for well over a year, would help end the war through squeezing Putin economically and forcing his customers to re-evaluate their relationship with Russia,” said Senator Darline Graham, Lindsey Graham’s sister, in a statement Friday.
Darline Graham was appointed to complete her late brother’s Senate term, set to end on the 3rd of January 2027.
“If he were here today, he would be jubilant about our bill’s passage — and already thinking about the next one,” Blumenthal said of Graham after the House passed the legislation on Wednesday evening.
“Putin is a thug who understands only force and strength, which is what we must show clearly and unequivocally,” Blumenthal added.
The bill also enables Trump to impose up to 100% tariffs on the top five importers of Russian oil or natural gas, with an exception for countries that import less than 15% of Russia’s natural gas exports and have taken significant steps to reduce those imports.
Despite overwhelming support on Capitol Hill, the legislation faced criticism from a vocal set of Democratic lawmakers, who favoured a tougher stance on Russia, but warned that Trump could use his new expanded tariff powers to impose fresh levies in the European Union and elsewhere.
“Why in the world would this Congress or the People’s House give this president unfettered authority to visit more tariffs on the world that will have an adverse economic impact on the American people?” said Democrat lawmaker and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
Graham’s journey to getting Trump’s sign-off on the bill had been full of turbulence, as the White House had to be convinced that the president would be able to retain sufficient flexibility on sanctions.
Eventually, Trump gave a final nod of approval to the bill after it included his push for a provision which would enable his administration to extend sanctions on Iran for another five-year period.
Additional sources • AP