Russia: Sanctioning Russia Act Advances in Senate
The bipartisan Sanctioning Russia Act (S. 1241, July 10) would impose up to 100% tariffs on the top five purchasers of Russian crude oil or natural gas, with an exception for countries importing less than 15% of Russia's natural gas and taking "significant steps" to reduce. Mandatory sanctions on Putin, senior military/political leaders, oligarchs, state-owned enterprises, banks, the shadow fleet,
BY FRONTIER DESK · JULY 23, 2026 · 1 MIN READ
The bipartisan Sanctioning Russia Act (S. 1241, July 10) would impose up to 100% tariffs on the top five purchasers of Russian crude oil or natural gas, with an exception for countries importing less than 15% of Russia's natural gas and taking "significant steps" to reduce. Mandatory sanctions on Putin, senior military/political leaders, oligarchs, state-owned enterprises, banks, the shadow fleet, and sanctions evasion networks are also included. USTR would reassess every 180 days. Sen. Lindsey Graham (the bill's sponsor) died July 11; the bill continues to advance. For sanctions and export controls counsel, the secondary-tariff mechanism targeting third-country purchasers represents a significant escalation — the extraterritorial reach would extend US Russia sanctions pressure to energy customers in Asia, India, and the Middle East.