US Senate passes Russia sanctions bill in bipartisan 86-11 vote

The United States Senate on Friday passed legislation imposing sweeping new sanctions on Russia's energy and financial sectors by a bipartisan vote of 86-11, advancing a measure championed by the late Senator Lindsey Graham that would penalize countries purchasing Moscow's oil and gas. The legislative vehicle, H.R. 5334 — formally titled the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026 — cleared the upper chamber with support well above the 60-vote threshold required for passage, sending it to the House of Representatives for consideration.

Eleven senators voted against the bill, including Democrats Lisa Blunt Rochester, Maggie Hassan, Mazie Hirono, Ed Markey, Jon Ossoff, Alex Padilla, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Peter Welch and Ron Wyden, alongside Republican Rand Paul. Republicans Marsha Blackburn, Cynthia Lummis and Mitch McConnell did not participate in the vote on the measure, which had stood as a key legislative priority for Graham prior to his death last month following a brief illness.

Bill targets Russian energy and banking sectors

If enacted, the legislation would impose both primary and secondary sanctions against Russian officials, oligarchs, their family members, foreign persons, and financial institutions deemed to be supporting the war in Ukraine. The measure grants the president authority to levy targeted tariffs on imported goods from countries purchasing the vast majority of Russian crude oil or natural gas, specifically limiting these penalties to the five largest importers and the top five nations aiding Moscow's energy sanctions evasion.

The bill also contains a provision designed to prevent any lapse in existing sanction authority that restricts funding streams for Iran's energy and weapons sectors. Several senators met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last month during his visit to Washington for Graham's funeral, underscoring the enduring cross-party support for Kyiv that materialized in Friday's lopsided vote.

Zelenskyy welcomes 'pressure on the aggressor'

Zelenskyy said adopting the act would help increase pressure on Moscow and accelerate an end to the war. "Ukraine appreciates all the support the United States is providing to Ukraine -- from both parties and the entire American people," he said, highlighting his country's urgent need for enhanced air-defense capabilities, particularly Patriot missile systems, as Russia continues employing ballistic missiles against civilian targets. "Every signal in support of defending lives and bringing the war to an end as soon as possible is extremely important," he added.

The Ukrainian leader argued that robust American economic pressure represents the most effective mechanism for advancing peace negotiations. "Real, strong American pressure and sanctions against Russia are what will help the most," Zelenskyy said, adding that "diplomacy comes closer with every step of pressure on the aggressor." Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine's acting foreign minister, also welcomed the Senate's action on the social media platform X, stating he was "grateful for this important step" to further strengthen sanctions against Moscow.