The US Senate has presented a softened version of the bill on sanctions against Russia, developed by Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal, which provides for the introduction of restrictions on Russian officials, financial institutions, and energy projects, and also changes the mechanism for applying tariffs to countries importing Russian energy resources, Reuters reported.
The updated bill, which has received support from both Republicans and Democrats, provides for the use of sanctions and tariff measures to pressure Russia and countries that continue to buy Russian oil and gas.
Compared to the original version of the document, introduced in April 2025 by Senators Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, and Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, the new version softens the proposed tariffs for third countries purchasing Russian energy resources.
In particular, instead of the previously proposed universal tariff of 500%, the updated version provides for the possibility of introducing tariffs of up to 100% for the five largest buyers of Russian oil and natural gas.
"The new version of the measure eases tariffs that could be placed on third-party buyers of Russian oil and natural gas to a maximum of 100% on the top five purchasers, from the previous proposal's blanket 500%.," the report said.
According to Senate aides quoted by the agency, the list of the largest buyers of Russian oil includes China, India, Slovakia, Hungary, and Azerbaijan. Meanwhile, the largest importers of Russian natural gas are China, France, Japan, Hungary, and Belgium.
The updated version of the bill also provides for exemptions for countries that purchase less than 15% of Russian natural gas and are taking steps to reduce this dependence. Among the states to which this exemption may apply are Japan, France, Hungary, and Belgium.
In addition, the updated version also contains a provision that allows US President Donald Trump to waive the sanctions if he deems it in the US national interest to do so.
Senate aides said that the bill already has 26 co-sponsors, and their number may grow in the near future.
Earlier it was noted that US President Donald Trump predicted that the bill on sanctions against Russia, developed by Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal and introduced to the Senate back on December 17, 2025, would be passed and he would sign it in honor of Graham, who died on July 12 after another visit to Ukraine, but would be supplemented by sanctions against Iran and the terrorist organization Hezbollah.
As reported, on Friday, July 10, Graham was in Ukraine on his tenth consecutive visit, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with whom he discussed the issue of sanctions against Russia, and on July 12 died as a result of a sudden short-term illness.
On July 13, CNN, citing an unnamed White House official, reported that Trump would support the passage of the bipartisan bill on sanctions against Russia, initiated by Graham, and this could facilitate the progress of the bill in the Senate.
Senate Republican Majority Leader John Thune said that the White House worked closely with Graham on the bill, and expressed hope for its passage with support from both Republicans and Democrats. Blumenthal, who is a co-sponsor of the bill, said that he plans to discuss with Thune the final preparation of the document and the timeline for its consideration, as well as the determination of a new lead sponsor after Graham's death.
The bill will provide Trump with the opportunity to impose high tariffs on imports from countries that buy Russian oil, natural gas, and uranium, with the aim of increasing economic pressure on Russia in connection with the war against Ukraine.
