President Donald Trump has signed a new law expanding US sanctions and other measures targeting Russia
The Kremlin warned that additional sanctions could hinder efforts to reach a negotiated settlement to the Russia-Ukraine war
The White House says the legislation gives Trump greater leverage to push Moscow towards a peace agreement
Russia has warned that new US sanctions legislation targeting Moscow could complicate efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war, as President Donald Trump signed the measure into law on Friday.
The warning came from Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Thursday, when the legislation was still being considered. Peskov said additional US sanctions would “certainly hinder” efforts to reach a peaceful settlement to the conflict. The White House confirmed on Friday that Trump had signed H R 5334, the Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, into law.
New Sanctions Law
The White House said HR 5334 authorises and expands statutory sanctions, tariffs and prohibitions on Russia, while also extending existing sanctions on Iran.
The legislation was originally presented as providing the administration with additional tools to pressure Russia over the war in Ukraine. In a July 28 statement, the White House said the bill would mandate sanctions on Russian officials, financial institutions and other people linked to the Russian government.
The administration’s policy statement also said the legislation would increase the costs for entities continuing to do business with Russia and strengthen presidential authorities to encourage Moscow to move towards a negotiated settlement.
Kremlin Raises Peace Concerns
Peskov said Russia was closely watching the legislation and described the House approval as an “unfriendly action”, according to Russian state media.
He said the additional sanctions could negatively affect attempts to resolve the Ukraine conflict through negotiations. His comments were made on Thursday, before Trump signed the legislation the following day.
The Kremlin’s position puts the new sanctions framework against the backdrop of Trump’s stated efforts to pursue an end to the war. The White House, however, has presented the legislation as a tool that could strengthen the president’s leverage in negotiations rather than work against them.
Trump Administration’s Position
The White House said the legislation supports Trump’s efforts to achieve peace by expanding the authorities available to encourage Russia to accept terms for a settlement.
The administration also pointed to provisions giving the president discretion to waive sanctions and authority to terminate sanctions after a peace agreement is reached. The July policy statement said these provisions were intended to provide incentives for resolving the war.
The law also extends the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 for five years, according to the administration. However, the differing positions leave sanctions as another point of tension between Washington and Moscow as efforts to find a negotiated settlement to the Russia-Ukraine war continue.
