Graham, Blumenthal lead push to penalize Russian energy buyers
A bipartisan group of senators announced Friday that they reached an agreement with the Trump administration on language for legislation to sanction buyers of Russian energy resources, advancing a bill that has been stalled in Congress for more than a year.
The Sanctioning Russia Act, first introduced in 2025, would impose 500% tariffs on countries purchasing petroleum and natural gas from Russia. The legislation is spearheaded by Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who have led the push for the measure since its introduction.
“As Russia intensifies its slaughter of civilians, it is imperative that the legislative and executive branches work together to create tools to exact a heavy price on those who buy Russian oil and natural gas, fueling the Putin war machine,” the senators said in a joint statement.
Senate Armed Services Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Senate Foreign Relations Ranking Member Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., also signed the statement.
The senators did not provide details on the updated text of the legislation, but said they now believe the revised version could be approved in both chambers and signed into law by President Donald Trump. MSI previously reported that Trump had “greenlit” the sanctions package in January after a meeting with Graham at the White House.
Speaking to reporters in Kyiv on Friday, Graham said he has “never been more optimistic than I am today that we have the formula to end this war.” He said he hopes the sanctions will “help Ukraine be more lethal” and “let those supporting Russia to know it’s going to be a price to be paid if you keep doing it,” according to the Ukrainian state news agency Ukrinform.
The agreement overcomes a legislative hurdle that has repeatedly prevented the bill from advancing, despite the senators’ assertion that the measure has sufficient support to pass.