President Trump has thrown his weight behind the Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025, a bipartisan sanctions package that would slam Russia with some of the harshest economic penalties ever proposed by the US Congress. The endorsement, confirmed on July 13, 2026, gives the legislation real political momentum in what has been a deeply divided Capitol Hill.
The bill, formally designated S.1241, was originally championed by the late Senator Lindsey Graham in collaboration with Senator Richard Blumenthal. Trump’s backing arrives shortly after Graham’s death, lending the measure both political gravity and a degree of bipartisan sentimentality that rarely surfaces in modern Washington.
What’s actually in the bill
The headline provision is a minimum tariff of 500% on Russian goods and services. Beyond the tariff, the bill includes visa and property-blocking sanctions targeting Russian interests, along with strict penalties aimed at Russian financial institutions. The energy sector, which remains Moscow’s economic lifeline, sits squarely in the crosshairs.
Key co-sponsors include Senators Richard Blumenthal, Roger Wicker, and Jeanne Shaheen. Graham introduced S.1241 on April 1, 2025. During a visit to Kyiv, Graham publicly asserted that the bill would ultimately become law.
