Vladislav Grigoriev 20:01, 17.07.26 UNIAN
This bill could become the basis for a separate piece of legislation negotiated by the late Senator Lindsey Graham
Senate Majority Leader John Thune has taken procedural steps to put a House-approved bill on the Senate agenda that would provide $1.3 billion in military aid to Ukraine and expand sanctions against Russia , The Hill reports .
It is noted that this bill could become the basis for a separate piece of legislation, agreed upon by the late Senator Lindsey Graham and released this week by a group of senators from both parties, which would impose tough sanctions against countries that purchase Russian oil and gas.
The publication added that placing the bill on the agenda allows it to begin the process of moving through the Senate while leaders resolve any objections to the bill Graham agreed to, opening the way for a vote on it later in the July session.
Journalists recalled that the bill envisages imposing duties of up to 100% on the largest importers of Russian crude oil. However, there will be exceptions for some US allies that continue to purchase natural gas from Russia, including France and Japan.
Some Republicans have also voiced objections to imposing such huge tariffs on major consumers of Russian oil, such as China and India. In 2025, these two countries exported more than $400 billion worth of goods to the United States.
The House bill passed the lower house last month by a vote of 226 to 195. Eighteen House Republicans defected to the Democrats and voted to pass the bill.
The bill on sanctions against Russia received sufficient support in the US Senate
Axios previously reported that the Russian sanctions bill, proposed by the late Senator Lindsey Graham, already has more than 60 co-sponsors , which is enough for it to pass in the Senate.
According to the publication’s source, the bill currently has at least 61 co-sponsors, including 39 Republicans and 22 Democrats.
At the same time, US President Donald Trump did not dare to fully support the bill (according to The Hill), but made it clear that he was ready to sign it in Graham’s honor.
I hope this gets passed quickly. When they make sausage in the US the bills go back and forth so the voting takes forever and sometimes the bill gets so decorated the original intent is gone along with some support.
I just hope that nobody adds any “poison pill” amendments that make it unacceptable to the majority who support Ukraine.