US House approves Russia sanctions bill allowing Trump tariffs of up to 100% on Kremlin partners

Notably, the Kremlin said that if Trump signed the sanctions into law, it would make it harder to reach a peace deal in Ukraine.

The US House of Representatives passed a Russia sanctions bill on Wednesday intended to pressure the Kremlin to end the war in Ukraine.

The bill, called the "Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026," passed by 262 to 159. It passed the Senate in August and is now en route to President Donald Trump’s desk for his signature.

The US sanctions bill targets Russia's energy and defense industries, as well as its "shadow fleet" of tankers that evade existing sanctions, in order to deprive Moscow of revenues to finance the war.

It would also place sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin, several senior Kremlin officials, Russian financial institutions, and state-owned companies.

It would allow Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100% on buyers of Russian energy, such as China or India, in order to reduce their dependence on Russian oil and gas.

What do the bill's critics say?

Notably, the bill had critics on both sides of the aisle.

Republican critics of the bill privately expressed to party leadership that the tariff powers would drive up prices before the contentious midterm elections in November, two people familiar with the matter told CNN.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) rejected their request for changes, the sources added.

Democrats and a few Republicans argued that the bill gives Trump too much broad presidential power on tariffs.

“Why in the world would this Congress give this president additional authority to visit that kind of economic harm on the American people?” asked House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York).

“The manner in which this bill has been written doesn’t require the president of the United States to impose sanctions on Russia. In fact, there are so many loopholes written into the bill, I believe, that it’s very unlikely that the sanctions relief contemplated in the legislation will ever see the light of day.”

However, the bill’s supporters say that it is a necessary punch to the Kremlin before winter sets in, and argue that Trump would not end up with more power on trade.

"Today, we are now one step closer to securing Lindsey's vision of enduring peace in Ukraine and beyond," Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas).

Zelensky praises Russia sanctions bill as a 'powerful tool' to stop war

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky voiced his support for the bill on Thursday, saying that it was “an extremely powerful tool that can stop this terrorist war and bring Russia to the necessity of establishing peace.”

“I thank the members of the House of Representatives, senators, and leaders of the US Congress for supporting this bill. Russia needs to end this war of its own," he wrote on Telegram.

The Kremlin said that if Trump signed the sanctions into law, it would make it harder to reach a peace deal in Ukraine.

"We are, of course, monitoring the progress of this document. It falls under the category of unfriendly actions, and of course the imposition of any additional sanctions by the US would certainly complicate efforts to find a peace settlement in Ukraine," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.