PoliticsJuly 29, 2026 3:16 am • 2 min readSen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), President Volodymyr Zelensky, Sen. James Risch (R-ID), Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) at the U.S. Capitol on July 28, 2026, in Washington, D.C. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)Editor's note: This is a developing story.The U.S. Senate on July 28 voted to advance the Russian sanctions bill championed by the late Senator Lindsey Graham following his funeral earlier in the day.President Volodymyr Zelensky, in Washington to attend Graham's funeral and meet with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House, attended the vote at the Capitol in person. Zelensky and Finnish President Alexander Stubb met with senators in a closed-door meeting before the vote.Journalists waiting outside the Mansfield Room of the Senate building, where the meeting was held, heard rounds of applause at the end of the session. Zelensky then thanked lawmakers for advancing the bill. "(T)his bill is very important, sanctions against Russia are very important," Zelensky told the press. "It's not only about money that help Russia wage its war, but it's also a big signal to Europe, Ukraine, and our people, so I'm very thankful."The sanctions package advanced in the Senate by a vote of 86-12. "As Ukraine defends its homeland, Vladimir Putin callously sends the sons of Russia into bloodshed... I have made no secret of my complete disgust of the dictator Vladimir Putin," Republican Sen. Roger Wicker said.The move comes after U.S. President Donald Trump and Zelensky met in an effort to coordinate on peace efforts, which have stalled in recent months.On July 14, a bipartisan group of senators unveiled the latest version of a sanctions bill targeting countries that buy Russian oil and gas, aiming to choke off Moscow's revenues amid its war against Ukraine.Days before the vote, the legislation gained enough support to overcome a Senate filibuster, with at least 61 co-sponsors, including 39 Republicans and 22 Democrats, one person familiar with the matter told the Kyiv Independent earlier.