New Russia sanctions amid war risk even higher gas prices

New Russia sanctions amid war risk even higher gas prices

The House voted Thursday to pass legislation that would place a new set of sanctions on Russia, drawing significant Democratic support despite opposition from party leadership. The bill, first introduced by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) in 2025, was previously approved by the Senate in an overwhelming vote, meaning that the legislation now awaits President Donald Trump’s signature. The bill also extends sanctions against Iran. Democratic leaders raised concerns about the bill, specifically the provision that would allow Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100% on any country that is among the top five purchasers of Russian oil and natural gas, or on the vaguely-defined top five countries “facilitating” Russian sanctions evasion. Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) spoke out against the bill, but in the end, 58 Democrats supported it. Some Republican lawmakers were also reportedly concerned about these increased powers. Reacting to an earlier version of the bill that would have imposed an even harsher 500% tariff on countries that traded with Russia, Sen. Rand Paul, (R-Ky.), one of 11 Senators (and the only Republican) to vote against the bill, wrote in Responsible Statecraft that it “would cause an economic calamity on a scale never before seen in our country.” Seven Republicans eventually voted against the bill. Democrats opponents of the bill, who said they still support weakening Russia and backing Ukraine, called the legislation a “Trojan horse.” “The president will not impose tough new sanctions on Russia,” Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) said during the rules committee mark-up. “But he will gain broad authority to tariff products and raise prices on goods from countries around the world, far beyond Russia and its energy clients. American families will pay the cost of this bill. Vladimir Putin will not.” These opponents of the bill added that Trump already has the necessary authority to effectively sanction Moscow. “The Russia sanctions bill does nothing to truly punish Russia. Instead, it would give Trump more power to put tariffs in place unilaterally,” Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) wrote on X. “Trump already has the authority to put more sanctions on Russia but refuses to. This bill won’t change that.” Congressional supporters of the legislation called it “our chance to stand on the right side of history” and “critical to the support and defense of Ukraine as it fights on the front lines of the free world.” Writing in Responsible Statecraft last month, Jennifer Kavanagh argued that beyond the potential global economic pain that could arrive as a result of increased tariff authority, the underlying assumptions of its effects are flawed. After four and a half years of war, economic punishment has done little to change Putin’s calculus. “He views the war as existential, for Russia and for himself personally, and has been largely insensitive to economic levers since the conflict began,” she wrote. “This is unlikely to change. In fact, the new legislation is much more likely to strengthen Russia’s resolve and work against peace.” Kavanagh argued that the sanctions bills risk both reinforcing Moscow’s claim that the Ukraine war is fundamentally a proxy conflict with the West and strengthening the Kremlin’s belief that Washington remains more interested in crippling Russia than brokering peace. Though the road to a peace agreement in Ukraine remains long, Trump did dispatch his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Moscow and Kyiv in an effort to kickstart negotiations. Last year, the president acknowledged he was reluctant to impose a new round of sanctions on Russia out of concern that it could hinder his administration's diplomatic efforts.