After more than a year of negotiations, the U.S. Senate presented an updated version of a bill on sweeping sanctions against Russia, which was promoted by the late Senator Lindsey Graham. The document has already been supported by about 60 senators, but it was significantly revised before the vote. UNN looked into how exactly the sanctions changed, who they will affect, and whether the new package will truly be painful for the Russian economy.
Why the bill was rewritten
The previous version of the document provided for the toughest possible pressure mechanism – 500% tariffs on all countries that buy Russian oil or natural gas. However, after several months of consultations with the White House and U.S. allies, senators concluded that such an approach could trigger a large-scale conflict with Washington's key trading partners.
It is worth noting that there is not much difference, and 100% and 500% are almost the same thing. The authors of the bill retained the main idea of economic pressure on Russia but made it more selective and politically realistic.
Which countries could be subject to new tariffs
The new version of the bill provides for the imposition of tariffs of up to 100% on the largest buyers of Russian energy resources. According to senators' aides, the largest importers of Russian oil are China, India, Slovakia, Hungary, and Azerbaijan.
The largest buyers of Russian natural gas remain China, France, Japan, Hungary, and Belgium.
At the same time, the document contains an important exception. If a country imports less than 15% of Russian gas and demonstrates real steps to reduce this dependence, it may be exempt from the new tariffs. Japan, France, Hungary, and Belgium potentially fall under this provision.
Which sectors of Russia are planned to be targeted
In addition to tariffs, the bill provides for a large-scale expansion of sanctions against the Russian economy. In particular, the restrictions are to affect:
- the central bank of Russia;
- Russian state banks and other financial institutions;
- the largest state-owned;
- energy projects, including Yamal LNG and Arctic LNG 1, 2, and 3;
- the Russian "shadow fleet" used to circumvent oil sanctions;
- transactions with Russian sovereign debt;
- new American investments in the Russian economy.
In effect, the bill simultaneously attempts to restrict Russia's financial system, its energy sector, and the logistics of oil exports.
Why secondary sanctions are considered the most dangerous
The most important feature of the document remains precisely the secondary sanctions. Their logic lies not only in punishing Russia but also in creating a choice for other states and companies – either cooperate with the U.S. and the Western financial system, or continue doing business with Russia and risk falling under American sanctions. It was this mechanism that once significantly reduced the economic ties of many states with Iran, and now it could similarly affect Russia.
What role Donald Trump gets
One of the main political concessions was a provision allowing the U.S. president to temporarily suspend or not apply sanctions if he deems it in the national interest. It was this amendment that resulted from lengthy negotiations between the bill's authors and the administration of Donald Trump.
According to one of the senators' aides, it was after these consultations that they managed to create a document that received support from both Democrats and Republicans.
Why the White House wants to add Iran and Hezbollah
U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he would like to expand the document and include sanctions against Iran and the Hezbollah group as well. However, the authors of the bill are currently opposed to such a move. They emphasize that the document should primarily be aimed at increasing economic pressure on Russia.
At the same time, senators' aides explain that states cooperating with the Russian military-industrial complex, including Iran, may already fall under certain provisions of the bill.
Will the new sanctions be able to change the situation
Even if the document is finally approved by the Senate, the House of Representatives, and signed by the U.S. president, one should not expect an instant economic collapse of Russia.
Sanctions work cumulatively. They gradually reduce access to financing, technology, international logistics, and external markets, increasing the Kremlin's costs for waging war.
That is why the new bill is seen as a tool for the long-term economic exhaustion of Russia, rather than a mechanism for a quick end to the war. If adopted, it could become one of the largest packages of U.S. sanctions against Russia since the start of the full-scale invasion.