US House Passes Sweeping Sanctions Bill Targeting Russia, Offering Ukraine New Leverage

The U.S. House of Representatives has approved a comprehensive sanctions package aimed at cutting off financial resources President Vladimir Putin uses to fund the war in Ukraine. The bill, which passed the Senate in August, now goes to President Trump for his signature.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the House vote "symbolic," noting it occurred on the same night Russia launched another large-scale attack across Ukraine. He stated that the full implementation of the sanctions deal would derail Russia's capabilities.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov commented that additional U.S. sanctions would complicate efforts to find a peace settlement in Ukraine, deeming such actions "unfriendly."

For Ukraine, the immediate benefit of the sanctions package is political, signaling legislative solidarity from Congress, according to Tom Keatinge, director of the Centre for Finance and Security at RUSI. However, he noted that the package offers another potent way to increase economic pressure on Moscow, a strategy Kyiv has argued has not yet delivered the swift, severe impact needed to alter Russia's calculations.

"The U.S. House of Representatives’ passage of the Graham bill last night marks an important step toward further pressuring Russia, raising the cost of its continued aggression, and depriving the Russian war machine of resources," said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha. "It is crucial not to stop there. We very much hope that this decisive move will...signal the start of a new round of intensified pressure from other partners as well."

The new legislation targets Russian officials, financial institutions, and a network of tankers used to move Russian oil while evading sanctions. It also grants President Trump the authority to impose tariffs of up to 100% on major buyers of Russian oil and gas, with specified exemptions.

The bill is named after the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, who spent more than a year negotiating the measure and secured an agreement with the White House shortly before his death. Graham and Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal, along with other supporters of Ukraine, worked for over a year to build support for the legislation and negotiate a version acceptable to both the White House and Congress.

President Zelenskyy intensified his lobbying of U.S. lawmakers, including a private meeting with senators following Graham’s funeral. During this meeting, he advocated for continued U.S. support, detailed Ukraine's efforts to engage Russia, and pushed for sanctions targeting Moscow's oil and gas revenues. He emphasized that the legislation is crucial not only to weaken Russia's war-sustaining capacity but also to bolster the morale of Ukrainian troops and civilians.

The central question for Ukraine now is how aggressively the Trump administration will utilize these new powers. Zelenskyy stated, "Sanctions must be strong so that all efforts for peace, and in particular our joint diplomatic efforts with the United States, Europe, and other friends, are effective."

However, the bill includes provisions giving the president discretion over its implementation, including the authority to impose tariffs and waive certain sanctions. This discretion has raised concerns among some lawmakers that the administration might wield tariff powers too broadly, potentially affecting U.S. allies, or fail to enforce the sanctions as rigorously as supporters intend. President Trump has historically favored diplomacy with Moscow, leaving open the possibility of how assertively his administration will employ the new sanctions to pressure Russia.