Trump signs late Senator Lindsey Graham’s ‘sanctions from hell’ law against Russia

Trump signs late Senator Lindsey Graham’s ‘sanctions from hell’ law against Russia U.S. President Donald Trump has signed into law a new sanctions law against Russia — the “sanctions from hell,” as the American press calls them — according to a statement on the White House website. The law’s full title is “Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026.” The act authorizes and expands statutory sanctions, tariffs, and prohibitions on Russia and extends existing sanctions on Iran. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Trump for “signing this critically important legislation.” “When Lindsey Graham was here in Ukraine, he would always talk about how important it was not to ease pressure on Russia, to strengthen sanctions and seek a path to peace. In particular, in those capitals that choose to buy Russian oil, provide financial services to Russia, and allow Russian companies linked to Putin and the war to engage in normal business relations in other countries,” he wrote. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who died in July 2026, introduced the sanctions bill. The law gives the U.S. president the authority to impose 100% tariffs on the five largest buyers of Russian energy. It also authorizes sanctions on Russian defense, energy, and financial entities, on Russia’s shadow fleet, and on nearly the entire Russian political and military leadership. During debate on the sanctions in the House of Representatives, a significant number of Democrats opposed the bill, fearing that Trump would use it as another legal justification for new import tariffs. Representatives of major businesses also objected, saying the bill “could have unintended consequences for consumers.” Even so, the bill passed on September 17. At Meduza, we are committed to transparency about our use of artificial intelligence in the newsroom. The story you’re reading was written by one of our living, breathing journalists and translated from Russian using an AI model configured to follow our strict editorial standards. This translation process is the result of extensive testing and refinements to ensure our English-language coverage is timely and accurate. A Meduza editor reviews every draft before publication. If you find any errors in this translation, please contact us at [email protected]. To read Meduza’s exclusive content in English, please subscribe to our newsletter.