Trump moves toward backing Russia sanctions bill after Graham’s death
Why it matters: The measure could hit buyers of Russian oil and gas with secondary tariffs of up to 500%.
President Donald Trump is moving toward supporting a Russia sanctions bill pushed by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, adding momentum to a measure aimed at pressuring the Kremlin over its war in Ukraine. A White House official said Trump plans to back the legislation, though Trump later said only that a decision would come “very soon.” Graham, who died on July 11 after returning from Kyiv, had promoted the bill with a bipartisan group of senators and reached an agreement with the administration on July 10 to move it ahead. An earlier version introduced in April 2025 would have allowed secondary tariffs of as much as 500% on countries buying Russian energy.