US Senate passes sweeping Russia sanctions bill

On Friday, the US Senate passed a comprehensive sanctions bill targeting Russia's energy revenues, paving the way for the legislation to proceed to the House of Representatives. The bill, named after Senator Lindsey Graham, has been designed to weaken Russia's war efforts in Ukraine, which has been ongoing for the past five years.

Key provisions of the bill include sanctions on Russian officials, oligarchs, financial institutions, and the "shadow fleet" used to evade export restrictions. Additionally, the bill empowers President Donald Trump to impose tariffs of up to 500% on Russian imports, including gas and oil, as well as 100% on goods from major purchasers of Russian oil and gas, such as China and India.

If passed, the legislation would target Putin personally, along with other high-ranking officials. The late Senator Graham's sister, Congresswoman Darline Graham, expressed her hope that the bill would promote peace by cutting off the financial resources fueling Russia's war efforts. Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen emphasized that the bill would "hit Russia's energy and financial sectors very hard," asserting that Vladimir Putin responds to pressure.

Russia's embassy in the US criticized the bill, stating it does the current administration a disservice. Meanwhile, the European Union has also imposed new sanctions on Russia, albeit less stringent than previous proposals. The EU's sanctions focus on freezing the oil price cap to prevent Moscow from profiting from rising oil prices due to the Iran conflict.

The bill's passage follows heated debates, with some objections raised by member states regarding various aspects of the proposal. However, a proposed wide-ranging visa ban was ultimately abandoned.