Doha: The US Senate on Friday approved, by a majority vote, a new sanctions bill targeting Russia, with measures aimed primarily at curbing Moscow's energy revenues. The proposed sanctions target Russia's energy sector by imposing 500 percent tariffs on Russian imports, including oil and natural gas, as well as 100 percent tariffs on the five largest importers of Russian oil and gas, including China and India.
According to Qatar News Agency, for the first time, the legislation also targets Russia's so-called "shadow fleet" used to transport its energy exports. The bill now awaits approval by the US House of Representatives when lawmakers return from their summer recess in September.
Speaking after the Senate approved the bill, Republican Senator Jim Risch, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said, "This legislation will make it possible to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine," adding that "it will have a decisive impact beyond what can be achieved on the battlefield."
US-Russia relations have evolved noticeably since President Donald Trump returned to the White House for a second term at the beginning of 2025. During his current administration, Washington has refrained from imposing major new sanctions on Moscow on the scale seen during former President Joe Biden's administration.