Trump signs sweeping Russia sanctions over Ukraine war
New law allows tariffs of up to 100 percent on major buyers of Russian oil, including China and India.
US President Donald Trump has signed into law a sweeping sanctions package targeting Russia over its war in Ukraine, days after Congress sent the bill to the White House with rare bipartisan support.
Signed on Friday, the legislation, known as the Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, honours the late Republican senator who spent more than a year negotiating it before his sudden death in July. It was co-written with Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal.
The bill sanctions Russian President Vladimir Putin, senior officials and oligarchs, along with Russian banks and financial institutions. It also targets Moscow’s energy and defence sectors and the so-called shadow fleet of tankers used to move Russian oil around Western sanctions.
Supporters say the aim is to starve the Kremlin of the funds sustaining its war effort and push Putin towards negotiations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who had lobbied lawmakers ahead of the vote, called the legislation “an extremely powerful tool”.