US Senate Passes Long-Stalled Russia Sanctions Bill
The US Senate passed a long-delayed bill imposing sweeping new sanctions on Russia, and extending measures against Iran, after months of deadlock. The legislation, championed by the late Senator Lindsey Graham, would allow steep tariffs on the biggest buyers of Russian energy and target its banks and “shadow fleet”. It still requires the approval of the House of Representatives.
The bill hands Washington a fresh economic lever against Moscow as Russia intensifies its bombardment of Ukrainian cities and peace efforts stall. Its provisions to punish the buyers of Russian oil — chiefly China and India — could carry global economic weight if enacted, though such threats have often been softened in practice. With the House in recess, final passage remains some way off, and much would depend on how vigorously any president chose to enforce it. Coupled with fresh European measures, it signals a tightening of the economic screws. Watch whether the House takes it up and how Moscow and Beijing respond.