NEWS
Politics

Senate Passes Sweeping Sanctions Bill Targeting Russian Energy Exports

The measure allows steep new tariffs on countries that continue importing large volumes of Russian energy.

Jordan Reyes
Published August 8, 2026 at 10:54 AM
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The Senate passed a bipartisan sanctions package this week aimed at squeezing Russia's energy revenue, authorizing steep new tariffs on countries that continue importing large volumes of Russian oil and gas. Backers of the bill described it as one of the more aggressive economic pressure measures to clear the chamber in recent years, arguing that existing sanctions had not sufficiently curbed Moscow's ability to fund its military operations through energy sales to third countries. The bill cleared with support from lawmakers across the aisle, a rarity for major foreign policy legislation in the current Congress. The measure now moves to further negotiations over implementation timing and enforcement mechanisms, with trade officials expected to weigh in on how the new tariff authority would be applied to specific trading partners without disrupting broader supply chains.