The United States Senate has approved by 86 votes to 11 a new package of sanctions against Russia, which mainly targets the hydrocarbon sector and financial resources supporting the war in Ukraine.
The bill is also expected to be considered in the House of Representatives, but the vote has been postponed until at least early September due to the summer recess.
The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Republican Jim Risch, stated that the measure aims to weaken Moscow's financial ability to continue the war.
"This bill brings us closer to ending the war. It will cut off the flow of money that fuels Putin's war machine," Risch said.
The package foresees the imposition of 500% tariffs on Russian oil and gas imports, while 100% tariffs will be applied to the five main countries that import hydrocarbons from Russia, including China and India, if these imports continue.
The bill also includes sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin and other senior officials, as well as measures against the so-called "shadow fleet," the network of ships that Russia uses to circumvent Western sanctions.
The law is named after Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who died on July 11 and had been one of the main supporters of toughening sanctions against Moscow.
On the other hand, some Democratic senators have expressed concern about the new powers that the bill gives to President Donald Trump's administration regarding the implementation of tariffs, seeking guarantees that they will be lifted for countries that ban energy imports from Russia.
