The U.S. Has Gained A New Tool To Punish Putin
- 17.09.2026, 10:33
What will the White House do next?
On September 16, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill by Lindsey Graham imposing “hellish sanctions” against Russia and Iran. The bill has already passed the Senate and may now be sent to U.S. President Donald Trump for his signature. The main question is whether the White House will decide to use these new powers to increase pressure on Putin and cut off his revenue from the war against Ukraine, writes Atlantic Council.
The toughest measure is contained in Section 113. It allows for the imposition of tariffs of up to 100% on countries that purchase large volumes of Russian oil and gas or help circumvent sanctions. China and India, as well as some U.S. and EU partners, could potentially fall under the law’s scope.
Washington will be able to gradually reduce the tariff rates if a country cuts back on its purchases of Russian energy resources. The U.S. has already used this mechanism against buyers of Iranian oil.
“The law could give the U.S. the opportunity to work with other governments to reduce Russia’s revenue from oil and gas sales,” the authors write.
Much now depends on the White House’s decisions. Trump is being urged not only to sign the law but also to publicly demonstrate a willingness to quickly use its provisions against Moscow. This could increase pressure on the Kremlin and give Washington additional leverage in negotiations to end the war.
At the same time, the law has its opponents. They fear that the administration will be granted overly broad powers and could use tariffs against allies. A second scenario is also plausible. The White House could opt not to strictly enforce the law—for example, by granting exemptions from the new sanctions to countries that import Russian oil. In that case, tariffs of up to 100% would exist on paper, but Washington would be virtually unable to use them to pressure Russia.
“If the administration fails to enforce the law, Congress must speak out against it and hold the administration accountable,” the author argues.
Now Congress and the White House must decide whether the new law will become a real tool for putting pressure on Putin or whether its toughest provisions will be watered down.