Aug. 25, 2026, 3:39 p.m. ET
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Washington
Iran isn’t the only nation facing new threats of U.S. sanctions. In September, the House will take up a Russia sanctions bill that could become Congress’ first significant action on Ukraine since President Donald Trump returned to the White House.
The Senate in early August overwhelmingly passed the bill, which aims to squeeze Russia’s war effort in Ukraine by targeting the oil and gas exports that fund it. House members have indicated some bipartisan support.
Experts say the bill has weak points, such as loopholes allowing the president to decline to enforce certain measures. Its expansion of presidential tariff powers has been controversial among lawmakers who say it hands over power that should belong to Congress.
If passed, a bill imposing sanctions on Russia because of its war in Ukraine would mark a new step for congressional action related to that conflict. But the bill gives the president leeway to influence tariffs and other penalties.
Here’s what’s in the bill and how some of its provisions could play out.
The United States already has thousands of sanctions on Russia. For example, it cuts off Russia’s major banks from the U.S. financial system and freezes assets within U.S. jurisdiction for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle of oligarchs. The bill writes these sanctions into law, so they can’t be overturned at a president’s whim. It also cracks down on Russia’s “shadow fleet” of vessels that it uses to dodge those existing sanctions, making it easier for the U.S. to target certain ships, whose owners aren’t clearly known, that are moving Russian oil and gas.
The bill also directs the president to impose up to 100% tariffs on the five countries that the U.S. trade representative determines are the largest importers of both Russian oil and gas (unless countries are actively working to reduce their dependence).
Russia has been hit hard by Ukraine’s targeted strikes on its energy sector.
“Russia’s economy is actually in a very weak shape, and now is a really good time to hit them,” says Maia Nikoladze, a deputy director at the Atlantic Council’s Economic Statecraft Initiative.
Experts are divided on how consequential the bill would be in terms of harming Russia for Ukraine’s benefit. Philip Luck, director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Economics Program, cautions that any sanctions must be strictly enforced to be effective. Ms. Nikoladze says the tariffs’ effectiveness depends on a complicated set of factors, and that there may not be immediate consequences for Russia.
But the bill would still mark a notable departure from Congress’ recent inaction on Ukraine. And experts agree there’s significant symbolic value to Congress making a long-term commitment to sanction Russia, as the bill ties the termination of sanctions to a signed and congressionally reviewed peace deal.
Dr. Luck says that commitment could reassure allies and make businesses think twice before investing in Russia.
“This is getting us back in the game,” he says.
One of the most controversial parts of the bill is that it hands the president the ability to impose steep tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil. In 2025, Mr. Trump imposed worldwide tariffs that the Supreme Court later ruled were illegal. He has continued to try to find ways to impose tariffs on selected countries.
