President Trump on Friday signed into law a sweeping sanctions package targeting Russia and Iran, formally enacting the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 after the bill cleared both chambers of Congress with bipartisan support.
The law expands sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin, senior Kremlin officials, oligarchs and major financial institutions, and takes direct aim at the network of tankers, often called the "shadow fleet," that Moscow has used to keep exporting oil despite existing restrictions. It also gives Trump authority to impose tariffs of up to 100% on the countries that are the largest purchasers of Russian crude and natural gas, a group led by China and India, and extends existing sanctions on Iran's energy and weapons sectors for five years.
The measure passed the Senate 86-11 in August and the House 262-159 earlier this week, with 58 House Democrats joining Republicans in support. It is named for the late Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a lead architect of the bill who died in July after spending more than a year negotiating its terms with Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut.
Reaction From Kyiv and Capitol Hill
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the new law "an extremely powerful tool" for pressuring Moscow toward ending its war. House Speaker Mike Johnson said the legislation places "maximum pressure" on Russia's war apparatus, while Senator Blumenthal framed it as a direct message to the Kremlin.
We have your number.
Senator Richard Blumenthal, on the law's intent for Russia
Not all lawmakers were on board. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries opposed the bill, arguing its tariff provisions would raise costs for American consumers and that its sanctions language contained loopholes industry groups had lobbied to include.
India, one of the largest remaining buyers of discounted Russian oil, responded by saying it remains firmly committed to ensuring energy security for its 1.4 billion people, while voicing concern over the tariff threat contained in the measure. China, the other major purchaser named in the bill, has not yet issued a formal response.
The law marks the first major Ukraine-related legislation to pass Congress in over two years, after previous sanctions packages stalled amid disagreements over how much discretion to leave the White House. It gives Trump latitude to waive or delay the tariff provisions if he determines a purchasing country is making a good-faith effort to reduce its reliance on Russian energy, a carve-out that both supporters and critics of the bill said would shape how aggressively it is ultimately enforced.
The signing comes as ceasefire talks between Moscow and Kyiv have repeatedly stalled, and as the administration has separately weighed additional direct sanctions on Russian oil giants. Energy analysts said the immediate market impact was likely to be limited unless the administration moves quickly to designate countries as tariff targets, a step that would require further determinations from the Treasury and State departments in the weeks ahead.
