Graham's bill on sanctions against Russia risks being delayed until 2027
There is still not enough support in the U.S. House of Representatives to pass the sanctions bill introduced by Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal. The bill calls for new sanctions against Russia and Iran, but its consideration may be delayed until next year.
There is very little time left before the midterm congressional elections. The final pre-election session week will begin on September 14 and last only three days. If the bill is not brought to a vote now, its consideration will effectively have to start over after the elections.
The main problem remains a lack of unity among Democrats. They fear that the bill will grant President Donald Trump overly broad powers to impose tariffs on countries that purchase Russian energy resources. In the House of Representatives, some Democrats are already opposing the current version of the bill.
At the same time, the bill has already received significant bipartisan support in the Senate—86 senators voted in favor, while 11 voted against it. The new version provides for a tariff rate ranging from 0% to 100%, replacing the initial 500% tariff, with the specific rate to be determined by the U.S. Trade Representative.
The bill does not contain a fixed list of countries against which tariffs may be imposed. It is expected that the U.S. administration will identify the five largest buyers of Russian crude oil and the five largest importers of Russian gas based on annual purchase volumes. Potential targets include China, India, Japan, Turkey, and certain EU countries.
Ukraine is urging Washington not to delay the bill’s passage until winter. Presidential adviser Vladislav Vlasyuk emphasized during meetings with members of Congress that tariffs, in particular, could increase pressure on Russia’s energy export revenues.
Despite the challenges, Vlasyuk believes the House of Representatives may still pass the bill next week. To do so, however, it is necessary to secure additional support from members of both parties. Senator Richard Blumenthal also urged Democrats to vote on the bill as soon as possible.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, for his part, stated that he is counting on the passage of the sanctions bill and views Graham’s efforts to increase pressure on Russia positively.
Source: Suspilne
Earlier, Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called for tougher sanctions following Russia’s attack on a tanker near Romania.
The EU will impose sanctions against Belarusian oil refineries for supplying gasoline to Russia.
