The American President Donald Trump signed the massive law „Lindsey Graham“ on sanctions against Russia and Iran beginning in 2026 (H.R. 5334), reports the world agency Reuters. The new legislation gives the White House unprecedented powers, including the imposition of up to 100% tariffs on the five largest buyers of Russian oil and natural gas (including China and India), as well as additional severe restrictive measures against Russia's "shadow fleet" of tankers and senior government officials. Immediately after signing the historic document, the Ukrainian head of state Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his deep gratitude to Washington for the decisive move.
Key points in the new sanctions package
The law is named after the late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who was among the most outspoken supporters of Ukraine in the US Congress before his sudden death in July this year. According to Deutsche Welle (dw.com), the initial draft envisaged automatic and more drastic tariffs, but after negotiations with the Trump administration, the scope was changed so that the final decision on when and against whom the tariffs would be applied remains entirely in the hands of the US president.
The main pillars of the new law include:
- Economic Pressure: Hitting countries and foreign companies that help Moscow circumvent energy embargoes.
- Drying up the war funds: Direct sanctions against leading Russian banking institutions, oligarchs and their families.
- Iran Restrictions: Extension of existing US arms and energy sanctions against Tehran until 2031.
Ukraine and Kremlin's reaction
In an official statement on social media, quoted by the Ukrainian news agency UNN (unn.ua), President Volodymyr Zelensky called the legislation "an extremely powerful instrument". He called for the full and speedy implementation of its provisions. "Peace comes through strength. "Peace comes through security, and the best guarantee of security is determination," Zelensky emphasized in his address.
At the same time, the Kremlin reacted sharply to the news. According to publications in the independent Russian publication Meduза (meduza.io), Russian authorities have stated that the new “hell sanctions“ of the US will only complicate possible future negotiations for a peaceful settlement of the conflict.