Washington: President Donald Trump has signed a law expanding sanctions against Russia and providing for tariffs of up to 100 per cent on major buyers of Russian oil and gas, while extending US sanctions authority against Iran for five years.
Trump signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 on Friday. The White House said the measure authorises and expands statutory sanctions, tariffs and prohibitions on Russia and extends existing sanctions on Iran.
The legislation directs the president to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on the five largest importers of Russian crude oil or gas, or countries among the top five facilitators of Russian oil sanctions evasion, according to a statement from Republican Senator Katie Britt.
Neither the signing announcement nor the lawmakers’ statements named countries that would face the tariffs. They also did not announce a country-specific tariff rate.
The measure includes an exemption for countries whose Russian natural gas imports account for less than 15 per cent of Russia’s total natural gas exports, provided they are taking significant steps to reduce those imports, Britt’s office said.
The sanctions extend beyond energy purchases. They target Russian officials, oligarchs, their family members, foreign persons, and Russian banks and financial institutions, as well as the Russian shadow fleet, according to the senator’s statement. The legislation provides for both primary and secondary sanctions against Russia and actors supporting its war in Ukraine.
Britt, an Alabama Republican, joined Trump in the Oval Office for the signing. Her office said Representative Michael McCaul, a Texas Republican, also attended.
“By signing this bill today, President Trump sent a clear message to Russia, and any countries that help fund its war machine, that the United States stands unified in our opposition to their acts of aggression against Ukraine,” Britt said.
She credited colleagues in both chambers of Congress and the White House with securing passage. She also highlighted Graham’s work on the legislation.
“We would not be here today if it weren’t for his tireless work, and it’s a true honor to have helped champion such an important part of his legacy,” she said.
Republican Representative Mike Simpson, an Idaho Republican who supported the legislation, described additional economic restrictions as a means of advancing efforts to end the war.
“We can all agree that this war has gone on for far too long, and we must not allow Russia to claim victory or believe they have won the war,” he said. His release described the measure as establishing new mandatory sanctions and economic restrictions targeting Russia.
(IANS)
