Washington, July 28 (dpa/GNA) – US senators agreed on Tuesday on legislation designed to put greater pressure on Russia through new sanctions, with newly published amendments set to name the bill after the late Republican senator Lindsey Graham, who championed it before his death.
Following the bipartisan agreement, the bill could be passed by the Senate as early as this week, according to media reports. However, as the House of Representatives is already in recess, it is unlikely to come into force before September.
The legislation primarily targets Russian natural gas and oil exports, a key source of revenue for Moscow. It would authorize the US president to impose sanctions on the five largest buyers of Russian energy, as well as the five countries doing the most to help Russia circumvent energy sanctions.
This could further strain US trade relations with China and India, both of which are major buyers of Russian oil. President Donald Trump has so far been reluctant to pressure Beijing over its energy imports from Russia. He had at one point imposed a 25% tariff on goods from India over its purchases of Russian oil.
In its new form, the legislation also includes sanctions against Iran. The agreement on the bill’s text coincided with a visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to Washington to attend a memorial service for Lindsey Graham. The Republican’s sister, Darline Graham, took her brother’s seat after his death and has continued to champion the legislation. Trump has already said he intends to sign it.
The US had in recent months temporarily suspended sanctions on Russian oil deliveries in order to counter price rises on the global market triggered by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz during the Iran war.
GNA