Senate Advances Russia Sanctions Bill as Zelenskyy Presses Washington

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate voted 86-12 on July 28, 2026, to advance a proposed Russia sanctions bill as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with senators and watched the vote from the Senate gallery.

The vote was a procedural step toward debate and possible passage. It was not final passage, did not enact new sanctions law and does not currently impose new tariffs on countries that buy Russian energy.

The legislation, known as the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, is intended to increase pressure on Moscow while signaling continued U.S. support for Ukraine. It remains subject to Senate debate and possible amendments, action in the House and presidential action.

What the proposed bill would target

The measure would impose or expand sanctions against Russian officials, political and military leaders, oligarchs, family members, foreign persons, Russian banks and other financial institutions. It would also target Russian energy projects and vessels associated with the country’s so-called shadow fleet, including older or reflagged tankers used to evade restrictions on Russian oil and energy revenues.

The bill would also seek to raise the cost for major foreign purchasers of Russian crude oil or natural gas. Under the negotiated framework, the president could impose tariffs on imports from the five largest purchasers of Russian oil or gas, as well as from the top five countries identified as helping Russia evade energy sanctions.

The proposed tariff authority could reach as high as 100 percent on covered imports. The legislation also includes presidential waiver authority, allowing the White House to waive sanctions or restrictions if the president certifies that doing so is in the national interest. That authority could affect whether, when and how aggressively any tariff provisions are used if the bill becomes law.

Zelenskyy’s Washington meetings

Zelenskyy met with a bipartisan group of senators before the vote and urged continued U.S. pressure on Russia alongside additional support for Ukraine. He then went to the Senate gallery, where he watched lawmakers approve the procedural motion.

His Capitol visit came during a one-day Washington trip that also included a meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House before the funeral of Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a leading negotiator of the sanctions bill.

Trump and Zelenskyy discussed ways for Ukraine to produce more of its own weapons and other forms of cooperation in the war against Russia. Zelenskyy said the meeting also covered licenses for Patriot interceptor production and diplomacy. Those discussions were separate from the Senate vote, and the sanctions bill itself does not guarantee additional weapons, Patriot systems or defense-production agreements.

What happens next

Senators still must debate the bill and could change its provisions, including the tariff authority. The Senate must pass a final version before the House can consider it. Both chambers would need to approve identical legislation before it could reach the White House.

Trump would then decide whether to sign or veto the bill, or allow it to become law without a signature under the applicable congressional rules. Until those steps are completed, the proposed sanctions and tariffs remain potential authorities rather than active policy.

The next developments to watch are Senate amendments or final passage, House action and the president’s decision. If enacted, the measure could affect Russian officials and institutions directly while also creating possible trade and energy consequences for major foreign buyers of Russian oil and gas. Those effects remain possibilities, not established outcomes.

For Ukraine, the vote places sanctions within a wider effort to combine economic pressure on Russia with diplomatic and defense support for Kyiv. The 86-12 result shows substantial bipartisan backing for moving the bill forward, but it does not by itself change the course of the war or guarantee that negotiations will follow.

Sources

• Senate takes first steps on Russian sanctions as Zelenskyy watches from Senate gallery — Associated Press
• Bipartisan Group of Senators Announce Agreement to Move Forward on Major Sanctions Legislation — Office of Senator Richard Blumenthal