US Congress passes Russia sanctions bill

The US Congress has approved a bill imposing new sanctions on Russia, which now heads to President Donald Trump for final approval. The bill aims to increase pressure on Moscow over the war in Ukraine. According to Euromaidan Press, the vote in the House of Representatives was 262-159, with 203 Republicans, 58 Democrats, and one independent voting in favor.

The legislation gives the president the authority to impose sanctions on countries and companies that help finance Russia's war, including the power to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on countries that continue buying Russian oil and gas, as reported by The Indian Express. This move is seen as an effort to choke off Moscow's oil money and pressure countries like India and China to stop buying Russian energy.

A White House official said President Trump planned to sign the bill. The bill directs him to impose tariffs and mandates sanctions on Russian officials, banks, and others, though he can waive them if it serves US national interests.

Brief written by urgent.news from France 24, Euromaidan Press, The Indian Express — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.