President Donald Trump signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 into law on Friday, September 18, giving Washington its most expansive tools yet to pressure Moscow over its ongoing war in Ukraine. The legislation, known formally as H.R. 5334, authorizes tariffs of up to 100 percent on the five largest importers of Russian oil or natural gas and extends existing sanctions on Iran by five years.
The bill cleared the Senate in August by 86-11 and passed the House of Representatives on September 16 by 262-159, both with strong bipartisan margins. It was named in honor of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican who died in July after returning from a visit to Ukraine. Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, a Democrat, co-drafted the legislation.
What the Law Does
The centerpiece is a tariff weapon aimed at countries that sustain Russia's energy revenues. The law directs the president to impose levies of up to 100 percent on goods imported from the five biggest buyers of Russian oil or natural gas. An exemption applies to nations that import less than 15 percent of Russia's natural gas exports and have taken meaningful steps to reduce that dependence. According to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, or CREA, China absorbed roughly 50 percent of Russia's crude exports between December 2022 and August 2026, India took about 37 percent, and Turkey and the European Union each accounted for around 5 percent.
Beyond tariffs, the act expands primary and secondary sanctions against Russian officials, oligarchs, their family members, banks, and financial institutions. It also targets Russia's so-called "shadow fleet" of tankers used to circumvent existing sanctions on energy shipments. The White House said the measures are designed to deprive President Vladimir Putin of the resources Moscow needs to sustain its military campaign in Ukraine.
A separate provision extends by five years the existing U.S. sanctions regime on Iran. That addition was reportedly key to securing Trump's support for the bill after months of negotiations between the White House and congressional leaders.
Geopolitical Timing and Concerns
The signing comes six days before Trump is scheduled to host Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House on September 24. The timing gives Washington fresh leverage in bilateral talks, though it also risks escalating tensions with Beijing, which is by far the largest buyer of Russian energy. China has repeatedly opposed what it calls unilateral sanctions that lack United Nations authorization.
The legislation has drawn criticism from some Democratic lawmakers who warned that the expanded tariff powers could be wielded beyond Russia. Opponents argued the bill grants the president broad discretion to impose punitive duties on allies such as the European Union if they are deemed insufficiently compliant with the sanctions framework. The White House pushed back on those concerns, noting that the bill's tariff provisions are narrowly tied to Russian energy purchases.
For European refiners, the immediate question is how the law will affect existing supply chains. While the EU as a whole imports a relatively modest share of Russian crude compared with Asian buyers, individual member states still source Russian oil through intermediaries. Any secondary sanctions enforcement could force European companies to further diversify away from Russian energy, a process already accelerated by the EU's own embargo imposed after the 2022 invasion.
The law represents a culmination of more than a year of congressional work on Russia sanctions, a process that had stalled repeatedly as the White House sought to retain flexibility in its approach to Moscow. With the bill now signed, the executive branch has a statutory framework to escalate economic pressure on Russia and its energy customers at a pace of its choosing.
Sources
- [Reuters — Trump signs Russia sanctions bill into law](reuters.com)
- [NBC News — Trump signs sweeping new Russia sanctions bill](nbcnews.com)
- [The Guardian — Trump signs bill imposing sanctions on Russia](theguardian.com)
- [Anadolu Agency — Trump signs Russia sanctions bill into law](aa.com.tr)
- [GovTrack — H.R. 5334 text](govtrack.us)
