The White House has signed off on a bipartisan Senate bill that would hit buyers of Russian oil with heavy financial penalties, according to two senators who spoke to CBS News. Republican Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Democrat Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut said the Trump administration approved the latest draft.
A Ukrainian official told CBS News that Graham passed the news to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday. Zelenskyy met Graham in Kyiv that day and wrote on X that “Lindsey briefed me on the work underway in Congress on the relevant bill.” One of the sources said Zelenskyy has been notified of the president’s approval of the tariff plan. White House spokespeople did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
What the bill does
The legislation would allow high tariffs on countries that keep buying Russian oil and natural gas. How soon they would take effect once the bill becomes law is not clear.
Both senators argued that Ukraine is turning the tide on the battlefield and that Vladimir Putin has to be brought to the table. Graham told CBS News that Putin’s constant attacks weigh on Trump’s thinking, and that the president has found Ukraine’s recent battlefield success persuasive. The war is now in its fourth year.
Blumenthal had no vote count yet but expects Democratic support. He pointed to timing as well: oil prices have fallen since the war with Iran cooled off, which makes the decision easier to take.
Next steps in the Senate
Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota had earlier told the senators he would move the bill once they had the votes. The Senate returns to Washington on Monday.
Blumenthal, Graham, Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Republican Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi welcomed the agreement and said the legislation should be rolled out “very soon.” In a joint statement they said: “As Russia intensifies its slaughter of civilians, it is imperative that the legislative and executive branches work together to create tools to exact a heavy price on those who buy Russian oil and natural gas, fueling the Putin war machine.”
Blumenthal said sanctions were not Ukraine’s only gain that week. He credited Zelenskyy with handling his meetings with Trump at the NATO summit well, coming away with a long-sought license to produce and Trump’s agreement to purchases of Ukrainian drones for U.S. use.
