THE US House of Representatives on Wednesday concludeddiscussiononthebill that would authorise President Donald Trump to impose sanctions on Russia and steep tariffs on its trading partners in oil and gas, including India and China. Piloting theLindseyOGraham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, Congressman Michael McCaul, a Republican from Texas,argued thatpassingthebill would put maximum pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to bring him to the negotiating table to end the war in Ukraine. Opposing the bill, Congressman Gregory Meeks, a Democrat from NewYork, questioned the rationale for handing overmorepowerto thePresident to impose sweeping tariffs. The bill is expected to be put to a vote later Wednesday. “The President calls himself the‘Tariff Man’...Why should we hand over this tariff man more authority,” Meeks said.

 

“It does not give what Ukraine needs at this moment. They need to have the munitions to protect themselves and continue to do what they are doing to preserve their country and democracy,” Meeks said. Meeks had moved amendments to the bill that sought to scrap the entire section authorising the president to impose secondary sanctions on Russia’s trading partners. However, the amendment was defeated at the House Rules Committee. Similarly, the amendments to limit the sanctions to 11 countries including China, India and Turkiye, and to extend USD 15 billion to Ukraine to purchase munitions were also defeated when put to a vote by the House Rules Committee. The Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, passed by the US Senate by an overwhelming 86-11 vote last month, seeks to impose sanctions not only on Russia’s leadership and energy sector, but also on the “shadow fleet” of vessels that enable Moscow to evade sanctions on oil deliveries.