By: Nicole Winfield, Lisa Mascaro and Mary Clare Jalonick
Senators Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) have introduced a bold, bipartisan sanctions package in the U.S. Senate aimed at pressuring Russia into negotiating an end to the war in the Ukraine. The proposed legislation would impose a sweeping 500% tariff on goods imported from countries—such as China and India—that continue purchasing Russian energy exports and other commodities, effectively targeting the primary backers of Russia’s war effort. The senators presented the bill during a briefing in Rome with European allies and Ukrainian officials, describing it as a “real game-changer” that moves beyond the current sanctions strategy by directly hitting Putin’s economic support network.
The briefing was held on the sidelines of a Ukraine recovery conference and a meeting of the “coalition of the willing,” marking the United States’ first participation in such a gathering. Graham and Blumenthal emphasized that this is not a measure of U.S. military deployment, but rather a demonstration of congressional unity and commitment, intended to empower the president with new tools to bring Putin to the negotiating table. The legislation includes a limited presidential waiver authority—allowing temporary suspension of sanctions for up to 180 days, subject to congressional review requiring a 60-vote majority override. Though the White House has expressed some reservations, Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson have signaled readiness to advance the bill before Congress heads into its August recess.