U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) visited Ukraine on Friday, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and announced that the U.S. Senate is set to advance a bill next week that would impose sanctions on countries purchasing Russian energy.
Graham, who traveled to Ukraine alongside Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), stated that Ukraine is not losing the war—dismissing suggestions otherwise as “Russian propaganda.”
The central focus of the senators' visit, however, was to promote what Graham has described as “bone-crushing sanctions” against Russia. He claimed these would help former President Donald Trump bring Russia to the negotiating table.
“I would expect next week that the Senate will start moving the sanctions bill. There are House members ready to move forward in the House, and you’ll see congressional action,” Graham said during a press conference in Kiev, flanked by Blumenthal and U.S. Chargé d'Affaires to Ukraine, Julie Davis.
The bill, which Graham says has 82 co-sponsors, would impose 500% tariffs on countries that continue to import Russian oil, gas, uranium, and other commodities. While officially aimed at punishing Russia and disrupting its energy exports, the legislation would effectively sanction major global importers, including China and India. Graham claimed on Friday that these two countries purchase approximately 70% of Russia’s oil.
Despite Graham’s framing of the bill as a measure to support Trump’s foreign policy leverage, the former president has not publicly endorsed it. Trump has previously asserted that decisions regarding sanctions should be his alone and warned that such measures might deter Russia from engaging in ongoing peace negotiations with Ukraine. Another round of talks between Moscow and Kiev is scheduled to take place in Istanbul on Monday.
Nevertheless, should the bill pass, there appears to be enough bipartisan support in the Senate to override a potential Trump veto. A similar two-thirds majority in the House is also considered likely.
One contentious detail of the proposed legislation—yet to be addressed publicly by the White House—is its impact on China. The bill would impose 500% tariffs on Chinese imports of Russian energy, dramatically escalating from the previous high of 145%, which had already prompted the Trump administration to negotiate a temporary tariff pause.
On Friday, Trump lashed out at China shortly after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed that trade talks with Beijing had “stalled.” Trump has not yet commented on how the proposed legislation—codifying steep tariffs into U.S. law—might further complicate negotiations with Beijing.