The White House Backed a Bill on New Sanctions Against Buyers of Russian Oil

The White House has backed a bill imposing new sanctions on Russia, said one of its authors, Senator Lindsey Graham.

According to Graham, the bill would allow President Donald Trump to impose tariffs on countries that buy cheap Russian oil. The senator said this primarily concerns the five largest buyers of Russian oil, which refine it and then resell it.

Graham said that after almost two years of work, senators had agreed with the White House on a version of the bill the administration is prepared to support. He now intends to push for the bill’s passage in Congress.

The bill’s passage would not mean sanctions are imposed automatically. The document would only give the US president the authority to impose such measures or decline to do so at his own discretion.

Graham also announced new areas of cooperation between Ukraine and the US that, he said, would help “increase the lethality” of Ukraine’s armed forces.