A bipartisan US sanctions bill targeting Russia’s energy revenues has secured the backing of 62 senators, enough to overcome a potential filibuster, but it must still receive a floor vote and pass the House of Representatives.
A revised US sanctions bill targeting Russia’s energy revenues has gained enough bipartisan support to overcome a potential Senate filibuster, although it has yet to be scheduled for a vote.
The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026 has secured the backing of 62 senators, giving the measure sufficient support in principle to clear the Senate’s usual 60-vote procedural threshold.
The legislation would impose new sanctions on Russia and allow President Donald Trump to levy tariffs of up to 100 per cent on goods imported from countries that remain among the largest purchasers of Russian oil and gas.
According to an official statement issued by the bill’s sponsors, the proposed measures would also target Russian officials, oligarchs and their relatives, foreign entities supporting Moscow, Russian banks and financial institutions, and vessels associated with Russia’s shadow fleet.
The updated text limits the tariff provisions to the five largest importers of Russian crude oil or natural gas and the five principal facilitators of Russian oil sanctions evasion. Countries whose purchases account for less than 15 per cent of Russia’s natural gas exports may be exempted if they are taking steps to reduce those imports.
This qualification could be relevant to European countries that continue to receive Russian gas while attempting to reduce their dependence on it. The principal focus of the secondary measures, however, is expected to fall on major energy purchasers, particularly China and India.
Bipartisan support in the Senate
The legislation is being advanced by Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal following the death of its original Republican sponsor, Lindsey Graham. Graham and Blumenthal first introduced a version of the sanctions package in April 2025 and subsequently negotiated revisions with the Trump administration.
The current group supporting the legislation includes 39 Republicans and 22 Democrats among its co-sponsors, according to details reported on Thursday. A separate announcement from the sponsors said 62 senators were committed to its passage.
That level of declared support means opponents would probably be unable to prevent a final vote through a filibuster. It does not, however, mean that the bill has been approved.
Its immediate obstacle is securing time on the Senate floor. Republican leaders began a “hotline” procedure on Thursday, informally asking party members whether they objected to bringing the legislation forward. The procedure is often used to determine whether a measure can advance quickly or whether it will require a longer formal process.
Even if passed by the Senate, the legislation would also require approval from the House of Representatives before being sent to Trump for signature.
White House position
Graham said on 10 July that senators had reached an agreement with the White House on revised language that the administration could support. The announcement followed discussions involving Graham, Blumenthal, Senate Foreign Relations Committee figures and the administration.
The agreement was presented as giving Trump additional tools to exert pressure on Moscow and on governments continuing to purchase Russian energy. Trump has since indicated that he is considering signing the legislation as a tribute to Graham, although he has not issued an unequivocal public endorsement of every provision.
Presidential discretion is central to the revised proposal. Rather than automatically applying a uniform 100 per cent tariff to all countries buying Russian energy, the bill would authorise tariffs of up to that level and concentrate them on the largest purchasers and sanctions-evasion facilitators.
That structure gives the White House room to calibrate enforcement according to diplomatic, trade and energy considerations. It also leaves open questions about how the administration would identify targeted countries, determine tariff levels and handle exemptions.
Implications for Europe
For the EU, the bill could reinforce pressure on Russia’s energy export system but also create trade and diplomatic complications. European sanctions have focused on restricting Russian energy revenues through import bans, price controls, financial measures and action against shadow-fleet vessels.
The US proposal would go further by threatening access to the American market for countries that remain central to Russian energy sales. Its effect would therefore depend not only on measures imposed directly against Russia, but on whether third countries reduce purchases to avoid US tariffs.
The bill’s shadow-fleet provisions also overlap with the EU’s efforts to sanction vessels and associated companies used to transport Russian oil outside established Western financial, insurance and maritime systems.
For now, the measure has acquired the Senate support required to move forward. Its passage still depends on Senate leaders scheduling a vote, securing House approval and obtaining the president’s signature.
