U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) announced Friday, July 10, 2026, that a bipartisan group of senators has reached an agreement with the Trump administration to advance long-stalled legislation targeting buyers of Russian oil and natural gas, marking a significant breakthrough after more than a year of negotiations over the bill’s scope and authority.
Graham posted the announcement on X, sharing a joint statement issued alongside Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.). The post read in full:
“Joint Statement with @SenBlumenthal, @SenatorWicker and @SenatorShaheen Announcing Agreement with the Trump Administration on Legislation to Hold Purchasers of Russian Oil and Natural Gas Accountable.”
The Full Statement
The four senators released an accompanying statement through Graham’s official Senate website under the headline, “Graham, Blumenthal, Shaheen, Wicker Announce Agreement With Trump Administration On Legislation Holding Purchasers Of Russian Oil & Natural Gas Accountable.” The statement, dated July 10, 2026, read in its entirety:
“We are proud to announce that we have reached an agreement with the Trump Administration to move our updated Russia sanctions legislation forward. We are very pleased with this significant progress and expect to roll out the legislation very soon. 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.”
Graham in Kyiv as Announcement Breaks
The announcement came as Graham was in Kyiv meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Friday. Following the meeting, Zelenskiy posted about the discussion on social media, emphasizing the importance of increasing pressure on Moscow through renewed sanctions efforts from Washington and its allies. According to CNN, Zelenskiy said it was important to strengthen long-range sanctions pressure on Russia through new steps by partner nations, and noted that Graham had briefed him on the status of the legislation moving through Congress.
What the Legislation Would Do
The updated bill, which Graham and Blumenthal have championed for more than a year, would grant President Trump authority to impose steep tariffs on nations that continue to import Russian oil, natural gas and uranium. According to reporting from CNN, the package could include exceptions for countries that contribute materially to Ukraine’s defense effort. The legislation has drawn broad bipartisan interest, with 85 co-sponsors in the Senate.
Graham has framed the bill as a tool to reward nations pursuing alternative energy sources while penalizing those propping up Russia’s war economy. In remarks reported by Interfax-Ukraine, Graham described the moment as a turning point, saying he had never been more optimistic that lawmakers now had “the formula to end this war.” He said the goal was to help Ukraine “be more lethal” on the battlefield while ensuring that “those supporting Russia” understood there would be “a price to be paid” for continuing to do so.
A Yearlong Push Toward Agreement
The effort to pass a Russia sanctions package has spanned more than a year. Graham and Blumenthal first began pushing the legislation in the summer of 2025, and by December 2025 a push to bring the bill to the floor was blocked by Democratic objections tied to a separate dispute over granting the president tariff authority amid a pending Supreme Court case. In January 2026, Graham said he had secured President Trump’s approval for the bill following what he described as a productive meeting, though the administration stopped short of formally endorsing it at that time. Ukrainian officials, including Zelenskiy and Verkhovna Rada Chairman Ruslan Stefanchuk, have periodically checked in with Graham and Blumenthal on the bill’s progress in the months since.
Describing the final steps toward Friday’s agreement, Graham said he and Shaheen had been working directly with the administration to ensure the bill was “written in a way they could support.” He said the agreement with the White House was finalized roughly 30 minutes before he made his remarks public, adding that the deal meant the legislation “is going to become law.”
Timing Tied to Broader Diplomatic Shift
The announcement follows a notable shift in tone between Trump and Zelenskiy in recent days. Earlier in the week, the two met on the sidelines of a NATO leaders’ summit in Ankara, Turkey, where Trump said the United States would allow Ukraine to co-produce Patriot missile interceptors domestically, a capability Kyiv has sought for some time. Trump also indicated Washington would move forward with a drone deal with Ukraine. Sitting alongside Zelenskiy in Ankara, Trump remarked that the two leaders had developed a “very good” relationship, a striking contrast to the tension that marked their Oval Office meeting in February 2025.
Uncertain Path Through the Senate
Despite the agreement with the administration, it remains unclear when the bill will reach the Senate floor. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has indicated the chamber will defer to the White House’s position on the issue and will not schedule a vote until the administration’s backing is confirmed. The Senate also faces a packed legislative calendar in the coming weeks, including the annual defense policy bill and another government funding deadline, leaving a limited window for floor action before the midterm elections.
Graham said he intends to meet with Blumenthal in Washington to coordinate with Republican and Democratic leadership on scheduling floor time for the sanctions package. He said the legislation, combined with efforts to strengthen Ukraine’s ballistic missile defenses, would give the Trump administration additional leverage to bring the war to a close.
What Comes Next
Graham, Blumenthal, Wicker and Shaheen said in their statement that they expect to formally roll out the updated legislation “very soon,” though a specific timeline has not been announced. The bill’s advancement would represent one of the most significant congressional actions on Russia sanctions since the war in Ukraine entered its fifth year, and comes at a moment when the Trump administration has shown renewed engagement in supporting Kyiv’s defense capabilities alongside economic pressure on Moscow.