US Senate Approves Bill to Impose Fines on Russia and Its Buyers Over Ukraine War

The US Senate (US Rajya Sabha) has overwhelmingly approved a bill to impose fines on Russia and its main buyers of petroleum products (such as China and India). It was argued that such trade promotes the Ukraine war. The bill has been renamed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 and was approved by the Senate with 86-11 votes. The bill allows President Donald Trump to impose 100% tariffs on goods from countries that are the top five importers of Russian oil and gas. Currently China, India, Azerbaijan, Hungary, and Slovakia are the top five buyers of oil and gas from Russia. In addition to sanctions on Russia, the bill would extend the time limit of the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 to 2031. The bill would impose fines on companies that invest in Iran's energy sector. The bill, supported by both parties, was advanced by Senator Lindsey Graham (Democrat) after Graham's death on July 11.