US SENATE PASSES MAJOR SANCTIONS BILL TARGETING RUSSIAN ENERGY

The US Senate approved a broad sanctions package targeting Russia's energy sector by a vote of 86-11 on Friday. The bipartisan legislation would impose sanctions on Russian officials, oligarchs, financial institutions and vessels used to circumvent existing restrictions on Moscow's oil exports. The bill would allow President Donald Trump to set tariffs of up to 500% on Russian imports, including gas and oil, and impose tariffs of up to 100% on goods from the world's five largest importers of Russian petroleum, including China and India. The measure also targets President Vladimir Putin and top Russian military commanders with new sanctions and visa bans.

The bill was renamed the Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia Act in honour of the late Republican senator from South Carolina, who championed the legislation before his death on 11 July. Graham spent his final days working to advance the bill and had announced an agreement with the White House on a revised version shortly before his death. The Senate took an initial procedural step toward advancing the measure on the day of Graham's funeral, with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy present in the chamber. The legislation also extends existing sanctions authority aimed at restricting funding for Iran's energy and weapons sectors.

The bill now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration after the chamber returns from its summer recess at the end of August. The White House has signalled support for the measure, putting pressure on House leadership to hold a vote. Some Democrats have warned that the bill grants Trump substantial discretionary power over tariff decisions, allowing him to determine which countries face levies or exemptions. The legislation includes waiver authority permitting the president to suspend sanctions if certified to Congress as being in the national interest.