US Senate passes Russia sanctions bill in bipartisan vote

The Senate on Friday passed legislation that would impose new sanctions on Russia, sending it to the House of Representatives.

By a vote of 86-11, the upper chamber passed H.R. 5334, the legislative vehicle for the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026.

The measure cleared the Senate with the support of more than the 60 votes required for passage.

Eleven senators voted against the bill: Democrats Lisa Blunt Rochester, Maggie Hassan, Mazie Hirono, Ed Markey, Jon Ossoff, Alex Padilla, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Peter Welch and Ron Wyden, along with Republican Rand Paul.

The three senators who did not vote are Republicans Marsha Blackburn, Cynthia Lummis and Mitch McConnell.

The measure was a key legislative priority of the late Sen. Graham, who died after a brief illness last month.

Several senators met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last month during his visit to the US for Graham's funeral.

If enacted, the act would impose primary and secondary sanctions against Russia and actors supporting the war in Ukraine. The sanctions target Russian officials, oligarchs, their family members, foreign persons and Russian banks and financial institutions.

The legislation allows the president to impose targeted tariffs on imported goods from countries that buy the vast majority of Russian oil or gas, and enable Russian sanctions evasion.

The bill limits these tariffs to the five largest importers of Russian crude oil or gas, and top five countries that aid Russia's energy sanctions evasion.

It also includes a provision to prevent a lapse in sanction authority that restricts funding for Iran's energy and weapons sectors.

Andrii Sybiha, the acting foreign minister of Ukraine, welcomed the Senate's adoption of the measure.

Sybiha said he is "grateful for this important step" to further strengthen the sanctions against Russia.

"This landmark legislation is a powerful demonstration of America's global leadership. I extend my sincere gratitude to the members of the U.S. Senate for their leadership, their principled bipartisan support, and their enduring solidarity with Ukraine. Together, we are bringing a lasting peace closer," he said on the US social media company X.