The 'Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026' cleared the US Senate on a vote of 86 to 12 this week, advancing to the House after summer recess. The bill authorises the president to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on exports to the US from the top five purchasers of Russian energy, targeting countries including India and China that continue buying Moscow's oil, according to Al Jazeera.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, attending late Senator Graham's funeral in Washington, watched the vote from the gallery and called it "the first step towards implementing Lindsey's plans". However, President Donald Trump has ordered lawmakers to add Iran-related tariff provisions to the bill, a move analysts say could lose Democratic support and delay passage further.