US to vote on new sanctions package against Russia

The US House of Representatives plans to vote next week on a bill on sweeping sanctions against Russia, which earlier received overwhelming support in the Senate. The document provides, in particular, for duties of up to 100% on the largest buyers of Russian oil and gas.

This is reported by Bloomberg. Just a few days ago, the prospects for a vote remained uncertain due to disagreements among American lawmakers.

It concerns the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 — a bill named after the late Republican senator Lindsey Graham, who was one of the main advocates of increasing economic pressure on Russia.

The Senate approved the document on August 7 by an overwhelming majority — 86 votes to 11. After the amendments introduced by the Senate, the bill returned to the House of Representatives, which must agree with the new version before the document can go to President Donald Trump.

One of the key provisions of the bill is a mechanism of secondary restrictions against countries that continue to provide Russia with revenues from energy exports. The document allows the imposition of duties of up to 100% on goods from states that are among the five largest buyers of Russian oil or natural gas, as well as against the largest participants in schemes to circumvent energy sanctions.

The potential effect of this provision may primarily affect large trade partners of Moscow. Among the largest buyers of Russian oil remain China, India and Turkey. The bill also provides for sanctions against Russian officials, banks and financial organizations, state-owned companies, participants in the military-industrial complex and vessels of the so-called shadow fleet.

At the same time, the final application of some restrictions will depend on the US president. The bill includes a mechanism of presidential waiver, allowing the president to refuse to impose certain sanctions or duties when providing an appropriate justification to Congress.

It was the tariff powers of the White House that earlier became the main obstacle to the rapid passage of the document through the House of Representatives. Some Democrats and Republicans feared that the new powers would allow the Trump administration to significantly expand trade restrictions against the largest US partners. Lawmakers also discussed the risk of rising global oil prices and fuel costs in the United States itself. As early as September 4, it was reported that these disagreements could push the vote to after the midterm elections.

For supporters of sanctions, timing is of particular importance. The House of Representatives returns to full work on September 14 and must complete the last working week before the midterm elections by September 17. Earlier, Ukrainian commissioner for sanctions policy Vladyslav Vlasiuk warned that this is actually the last window for passing the bill before the November 3 elections.

Thus, the inclusion of the sanctions bill in the voting schedule marks a notable shift after several weeks of uncertainty in the House of Representatives. Even with a successful vote, further passage of the document will depend on whether the House preserves the text approved by the Senate. If lawmakers introduce new changes, both chambers of Congress will have to further coordinate the final version.

Based on materials from: Bloomberg, United States Senate