Senate advances Russian sanctions bill as Zelenskyy watches vote
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The Senate voted 86-12 to move forward a bipartisan sanctions package targeting countries that purchase Russian energy, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy present in the gallery.
The Senate took a procedural vote of 86-12 on Tuesday to advance a bipartisan bill that would allow the president to impose tariffs on the world’s top five buyers of Russian oil and gas, and expand sanctions on Russian officials and energy projects. The vote came hours after a funeral for Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, the bill’s chief negotiator, whom Zelenskyy had met in Ukraine earlier in the year.
Zelenskyy attended the Senate session, meeting with several senators beforehand and later watching the vote from the gallery. He told lawmakers that the legislation “is important as a moral signal to a country that is weary and tired, though holding its own and then some against Russia.”
“We discussed many issues, first and foremost, anti-ballistic defense,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X.
Republican Sen. Todd Young said Zelenskyy’s presence underscored the bill’s significance, adding that the sanctions are a “keystone” in efforts to pressure Russia’s economy and push President Vladimir Putin toward negotiations. Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen called the measure a bipartisan message to Putin and a way to defend Europe from an “increasingly aggressive Russia.”
The legislation, negotiated by Graham, Sen. Richard Blumenthal and the White House, would permit tariffs on nations importing more than 15% of their natural gas from Russia, with exemptions for countries reducing those imports. It also adds sanctions on senior Russian officials, financial institutions, and older re-flagged oil tankers used to evade existing restrictions, and includes a waiver authority for the president to lift sanctions if deemed in the national interest.
Some Democrats expressed concern about granting the president expanded tariff powers. Sen. Ron Wyden warned that “it is extremely dangerous to give Trump massive new tariff powers,” and said he would propose an amendment to modify the tariff provisions. Sen. Ruben Gallego said he would decide his vote after hearing Zelenskyy’s appeal.
The bill’s momentum is attributed to recent Ukrainian battlefield gains, the careful bipartisan negotiation, and the symbolic support of Zelenskyy’s presence in the Capitol.