The 48‑page legislation, passed by the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this week, gives the president broad authority to levy tariffs of up to 100 percent on the top five purchasers of Russian oil and gas, with China accounting for roughly half of Russian crude exports and India for about 37 percent during the period from December 2022 to August 2026, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.
In addition to targeting Russian energy buyers, the bill extends similar punitive measures to Iran’s energy and weapons sectors, reflecting a broader strategy to pressure two of Washington’s longstanding adversaries.
Named after the late Senator Lindsey Graham, who died on July 11 from an aortic dissection, the act honors his reputation as one of Ukraine’s staunchest defenders on Capitol Hill. Graham had long urged the Trump administration to adopt tougher action against Russia following its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
The legislation includes exemptions for countries that import less than 15 percent of their natural gas from Russia and are actively working to reduce that dependency, a clause designed to spare nations with limited exposure to Russian supplies.
Beyond the energy tariffs, the bill imposes sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin, senior government officials, Russian banks, and the so‑called “shadow fleet” of tankers that have been used to evade existing sanctions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the House’s passage of the bill, noting its symbolic timing on the night of another Russian missile and drone attack on Ukraine. Senator Richard Blumenthal, a New York Democrat, described the measure as “scorching sanctions” that would “throttle Putin’s war machine.”