The US Voted to Squeeze Russia's Money and Help Ukraine

The U.S. House passed a bill to punish Russia over the war in Ukraine on Sept. 17, 2026. The vote was 262 to 159, according to Al Jazeera.

The House vote came after the Senate passed the bill the month before. The Senate vote was 86 to 11, a number shared in a House member statement on Sept. 16. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had asked for passage and spoke directly to U.S. senators shortly before the Senate vote.

The bill would put economic pressure on Russia in two ways. Sanctions block money and property. Tariffs are extra taxes on goods coming into the United States. The bill would let the president place tariffs of up to 100 percent on countries such as China and India that buy Russian energy. It would also place sanctions on Russian officials, banks and a shadow fleet of tankers moving Russian energy. The stated goal is to cut off money used to pay for the war, as reported by Reuters.

The bill was led by the late Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and was named for him after his sudden death in July. Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut wrote it with Graham. Senate Bill 5025 is called the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026, with a stated purpose to impose sanctions and other measures with respect to the Russian Federation. The House bill, H.R. 5334, is called the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, according to Congress.gov.

In the House, 58 Democrats joined most Republicans to pass the bill. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries opposed it, citing new tariff powers for the White House. It was the first time in more than two years that Congress passed a bill supporting Ukraine.

H.R. 5334 also allows $15 billion in foreign military financing for Ukraine, or U.S. help for Ukraine to get weapons. It also has a rule on loans to Ukraine using immobilized Russian sovereign assets, or frozen Russian government money. A 7-3 vote was recorded on Sept. 14, 2026 in connection with the Senate amendment to H.R. 5334.

After passage, the House sent the bill to President Donald Trump. Trump was expected to sign it into law. He had earlier allowed the bill to move forward in Congress.

The broader context here is how the two tools work together. Sanctions hit Russia directly. Tariffs hit other countries that buy Russian energy. The president is allowed to use the tariffs but is not required to do so. Key questions are which imports count, how to track where oil comes from, and how to enforce the tanker punishments in different countries.

Looking at what this means for diplomacy, the tariff plan puts energy buyers in the middle of U.S.-Russia policy. China and India are named as examples, so ties with them could become tense if the tariffs are used. At the same time, the bill ties punishment of Moscow to help for Kyiv, a mix Congress had not passed in more than two years. If Trump signs, Treasury, State and Commerce will need to turn the broad rules into lists, permits and border checks.