OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
5:50 PM – Friday, August 7, 2026
The United States Senate approved a Russian sanctions package in an 86-11 vote on Friday. The bipartisan legislation, finalized just a day before Lindsey Graham's sudden death in July, aims to throttle Moscow's energy revenues and pressure President Vladimir Putin into ending the war in Ukraine.
The legislation represents the culmination of a year-long negotiation led by Graham (R-S.C.) and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.). Graham had returned from a diplomatic visit to Kyiv on July 10th, where he announced a deal with the White House on the sanctions framework alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The 71-year-old senator died unexpectedly the following day from an aortic dissection, prompting his colleagues to dedicate the legislation in his memory.
Designed to strike directly at the financial engine powering Russia's military operations, the bill grants authority to impose tariffs of up to 100% on foreign nations purchasing Russian oil and natural gas. Major global importers, including China and India, face potential trade penalties unless they reduce their reliance on Russian fossil fuels below specified thresholds.
Additionally, the bill reportedly targets Putin personally, blacklists senior Russian political and financial leadership and tightens sanctions on the "shadow fleet" of reflagged oil tankers used by Russia to bypass existing international price caps.
"This bill says to Vladimir Putin, 'Your days of war are numbered,'" Blumenthal said last week. "'You are on the losing side. Better to come to the table now than sacrifice more lives, waste more money, crater your economy, destroy your standing in the world.'"
During floor debate preceding the vote, lawmakers paid tributes to their late colleague, whose sister, Senator Darline Graham (R-S.C.), was appointed by South Carolina's governor to fill his vacant seat and deliver remarks urging passage.
Blumenthal noted that Zelensky had visited the Capitol to meet with senators shortly after attending Graham's funeral, emphasizing the "deep ties Graham forged with Ukraine's defense effort." To address concerns from some lawmakers regarding potential economic disruption, the bill includes a presidential waiver provision allowing temporary exemptions if certified as vital to national interest.
The measure now heads to the U.S. House of Representatives, where Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has indicated support for advancing the package to President Trump's desk.
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