Trump Honours Lindsey Graham As Russia Sanctions Bill Is Revised

The United States has unveiled a revised version of a Russia sanctions bill that reduces the threat of punitive tariffs on India, China and other importers of Russian oil and gas, capping potential duties at 100% for the top five purchasers.

The bill championed by the late Senator Lindsey Graham, who died suddenly on Saturday, now includes a provision allowing President Donald Trump to waive the sanctions if he deems it in the US national interest. According to Reuters, the revised measure eases the original proposal's blanket 500% tariff threat on third-party buyers of Russian oil and natural gas, replacing it with a maximum 100% tariff on the top five purchasers.

The top five purchasers of Russian crude are China, India, Slovakia, Hungary and Azerbaijan, while the top importers of Russian natural gas are China, France, Japan, Hungary and Belgium, Senate aides said. The bill also allows an exception for countries which import less than 15% of Russia's natural gas exports and which are taking significant steps to reduce those imports, which could exempt Japan, France, Hungary and Belgium.

The legislation, backed by both Republican and Democratic senators, seeks to impose sanctions on Russian officials and use tariffs to pressure China and India to reduce their dependence on Russia as an energy supplier. It also targets Russia's shadow fleet of tankers, financial institutions including the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, and major state-owned energy projects including Yamal LNG and Arctic LNG 1, 2 and 3.

Trump Honours Graham's Legacy

President Trump has described the bill as a tribute to Graham, who had announced during a trip to Ukraine just a day before his death that he had reached an agreement with Trump to move forward with the legislation. "This is in honour of Lindsey. This was his thing. He wanted this more than anything. You know how he felt, and there's a good chance that it gets done," Trump told reporters.

In a White House statement released on Monday, Trump reflected on Graham's sudden passing, describing the loss as "deeply personal." "He's a tough one to lose. He was great — he was unique in every way… I just can't believe it. He was like a member of the family to me. It's very tough, actually. He was such an advocate," Trump said.

Trump praised Graham's political instincts and his passionate defence of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, calling it "a top ten, maybe a top five, moment in the history of the Senate." He also noted Graham's ability to build relationships across the aisle: "He got along with everybody and yet, he was a tough cookie in a lot of ways. Honestly, he was a great politician. People don't realize what a good politician he was."

Bill Details And Prospects

The original bill was introduced in April 2025 by Graham and Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat. The bill has undergone months of negotiations to secure Trump's backing. A Senate aide told Reuters that the revised measure is "the only product that currently has buy-in from everybody and is likely the only product that is going to move forward and put pressure on Russia the way we would all like to get."

Trump has suggested that sanctions on Iran and Hezbollah might be added to the bill, calling it a "very big thing" if those measures were included. However, Blumenthal expressed caution about expanding the bill's scope, saying: "With all due respect to the president, he has approved this bill, and we should move forward with this bill rather than opening it, in my view, to other potential targets."

Senate aides said the bill had 26 co-sponsors and expressed optimism about its passage. Trump also expressed confidence, saying: "There's a good chance that it gets done."