US Senators, Administration Agree To Advance Russia Sanctions Bill; Kyiv Hails Move; Sen. Graham Meets News Media in Kyiv

A bipartisan group of US senators said they had reached an agreement with the Trump administration to advance long-delayed legislation aimed at imposing tougher economic penalties on Russia and countries that continue to support Moscow’s war economy.

The breakthrough, announced Friday, July 10, as Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) visited Kyiv for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, could give President Donald Trump a powerful new tool to pressure Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin as Washington seeks an end to Russia’s war, now in its fifth year.

Graham said the agreement with the White House clears the way for the bill to move forward, arguing that the legislation would allow the United States to punish countries helping Russia evade Western sanctions while creating leverage for negotiations.

“We’ve reached an agreement with the White House on a version of the Russian sanctions bill that they will support. It means it’s going to become law,” Graham told reporters in Kyiv after concluding his 10th wartime visit to Ukraine.

The legislation, known as the Sanctioning Russia Act, has been under negotiation for months by Graham and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, along with Democrat Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Republican Roger Wicker of Mississippi.

In a joint statement, the four senators said they expected to release the updated legislation soon, describing the agreement as a major step toward strengthening pressure on Moscow.

“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,” the statement said.

President Zelenskyy also met with Graham in Kyiv. Zelenskyy thanked the United States for all the support for Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale aggression, including for air defense systems that have saved thousands of lives and for the PURL initiative.

Zelenskyy highlighted the agreements reached during his meeting with President Trump in Ankara that will further strengthen Ukraine’s ability to protect lives. In particular, this includes the political decision to grant Ukraine licenses to produce Patriot systems.

Zelenskyy briefed Graham on Russia’s constant attacks against our cities and the urgent need for additional anti-ballistic missiles. The Senator praised the courage of the Ukrainian people and reaffirmed Congress's continued support for Ukraine. "I'm grateful to Lindsey for recognizing our warriors. The stronger Ukraine is on the battlefield, the greater the chances that diplomacy will ultimately succeed," Zelenskyy said.

The meeting also focused on diplomatic efforts to end the war and increasing sanctions pressure on Russia and everyone backing its war. The Senator briefed the President on work on the relevant bill. According to him, now is the right time to move forward because Ukraine's success on the battlefield must be reinforced by the right pressure.

Zelenskyy thanked the United States for all the support for Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale aggression, including for air defense systems that have saved thousands of lives and for the PURL initiative -- The Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) is a NATO-coordinated mechanism where member states and partner countries pool funds to purchase critical US-made weapons and military equipment for Ukraine.