Trump signs sweeping Russia sanctions over Ukraine war

US President Donald Trump has signed into law a sweeping sanctions package targeting Russia over its war in Ukraine, days after Congress sent the bill to the White House with rare bipartisan backing.

Key points

• The bill passed the Senate last month and the House on Wednesday, with 58 Democrats crossing party lines to back it.
• The bill sanctions Russian President Vladimir Putin, senior authorities and oligarchs, along with Russian banks and financial institutions.
• House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries resisted the bill, warning that its tariff powers would raise costs for American families and calling its sanctions provisions full of "loopholes".
• Trump's decision comes regarding a week before he is due to host Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House.
• Supporters say the aim is to starve the Kremlin of the funds sustaining its war effort and push Putin towards negotiations.

Signed on Friday, the legislation, known as the Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, honours the late Republican senator who spent more than a year negotiating it before his sudden death in July. It was co-written with Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal.

Meanwhile, the bill sanctions Russian President Vladimir Putin, senior authorities and oligarchs, along with Russian banks and financial institutions. It additionally targets Moscow's energy and defence sectors and the so-called shadow fleet of tankers employed to move Russian oil around Western sanctions.

Meanwhile, a key provision gives Trump authority to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on the five largest buyers of Russian oil and gas, a measure projected to fall hardest on China and India, the top two importers of Russian crude. The bill separately extends sanctions on Iran's energy and weapons sectors.

Notably, the bill passed the Senate last month and the House on Wednesday, with 58 Democrats crossing party lines to back it.

It marks the first major Ukraine-related bill to clear Congress in more than two years.

Supporters say the aim is to starve the Kremlin of the funds sustaining its war effort and push Putin towards negotiations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This person had lobbied lawmakers ahead of the vote, called the legislation "an extremely powerful tool".

While Blumenthal stated he hoped it would support bring Moscow to the table, telling Putin: "We have your number.", house Speaker Mike Johnson remarked the bill placed "maximum pressure" on what he called "the Russian war machine".

Not all Democrats were on board. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries resisted the bill, warning that its tariff powers would raise costs for American families and calling its sanctions provisions full of "loopholes".

India, one of the countries most exposed to the new tariff threat, remarked this week that it "remains firmly committed to ensuring energy security for its 1.4 billion people".

For now, trump signs sweeping Russia sanctions over Ukraine war remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.