Trump signs sweeping Russia sanctions bill into law

U.S. President Donald Trump signed sweeping legislation targeting Russia with new sanctions and tariff measures on Sept. 18, the White House announced.

The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 expands sanctions and other restrictions targeting Russia while extending the Iran Sanctions Act for another five years. The Trump administration had formally backed the legislation before its passage.

Among its provisions, the law requires the president, no later than 30 days after enactment, to impose duties of up to 100% on goods imported from foreign countries that meet specified criteria.

These include countries that knowingly make new purchases of Russian-origin crude oil or natural gas on or after 30 days after enactment and were among the five largest importers, by volume, of Russian crude oil or natural gas during the preceding 12-month period. The provision also covers the top five countries facilitating Russian oil-sanctions evasion during that period.

The law authorizes the president to waive the duties, sanctions or restrictions after submitting to Congress a written national-interest certification and a report explaining the basis for the waiver. It also requires the president, within 30 days of enactment, to impose duties of up to 500% on goods imported from Russia, subject to statutory exceptions.

In addition, it expands sanctions targeting Russian officials, financial institutions, state-controlled or affiliated entities, energy-sector actors, vessels involved in sanctions evasion and other facilitators.

President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed Trump's decision, thanking him as well as members of both chambers of Congress who backed the measure.

Zelensky recalled that Graham had repeatedly called for increasing economic pressure on Moscow, including by targeting purchases of Russian oil, financial services provided to Russia, and international business ties with Russian companies linked to the Kremlin and its war against Ukraine.

"The best way to honor Lindsey's memory will be the full and swift implementation of the provisions of this law," Zelensky said.

He added that Graham had believed the United States had sufficient leverage to confront authoritarian governments if it acted decisively. "Peace comes through strength. Calm comes through security. And the best guarantee of security is resolve," Zelensky said.

The House of Representatives passed the legislation on Sept. 16 by 262 votes to 159, sending it to Trump's desk. The measure had already cleared the Senate in August by an 86-11 vote, receiving substantial bipartisan support.

The bill faced opposition from some lawmakers over the broad tariff authority it grants the president. The legislation does not name individual countries, but China and India are among the world's largest purchasers of Russian oil and could be affected by its provisions.

Graham, a Republican senator from South Carolina and a prominent advocate for additional sanctions against Moscow, had pushed the legislation for more than a year. He died on July 11 at the age of 71 from a heart condition, a day after meeting Zelensky during a visit to Kyiv.

The legislation was subsequently renamed in Graham's honor.