The U.S. House of Representatives-passed bill by Lindsey Graham on sanctions against Russia and Iran is designed to increase pressure on external channels through which Russia continues to generate revenue from energy sales, Ukrainian Presidential Commissioner for Sanctions Policy Vladyslav Vlasyuk has said.
"I welcome the adoption of the 'hellish' sanctions by our partners. The bill was supported by 262 members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Thank you to everyone who contributed to promoting Lindsey Graham's bill. This decision should become an important element of comprehensive pressure on Russia, which already includes Ukrainian strikes on oil infrastructure and international sanction restrictions," Vlasyuk told Interfax-Ukraine on Thursday.
According to him, the tariffs against countries purchasing Russian energy resources provided for in the bill could reduce Russia's revenues and increase the cost of cooperating with it.
"We expect that the sanctions will make Russian energy exports more expensive, more difficult, and less profitable. This does not mean an immediate end to the war, but it means a gradual reduction in Russia's ability to maintain its current intensity on the battlefield," Vlasyuk noted.
He also emphasized that the sanctions package covers Iran, which cooperates with Russia in the military-industrial sphere.
"Iranian drones and components for Russian weaponry have become part of the war against Ukraine. Therefore, pressure on both states must limit their ability to support weapons production and develop military cooperation," the presidential commissioner stressed.
"Sanctions must work not as a symbolic punishment, but as a tool that directly affects Russia's ability to wage war. This is the exact practical result we expect from the adopted bill," he summarized.
