US Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal said in Kyiv on August 26 that the House of Representatives may approve a Russia sanctions bill in September. He co-authored the legislation with the late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham to stop oil and gas revenues from funding Moscow's military machine, according to a Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty correspondent.
Blumenthal explained at a press conference that the proposed law specifically targets five main buyers of Russian energy, with China and India being the two largest purchasers. He described strategic moves against Vladimir Putin's military strength as part of a necessary strategy to bring Russia to the negotiating table, adding that Putin understands only force and that the bill acts as a sledgehammer.
The United States Congress consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives, both of which must pass identical legislation before a bill can be signed into law by the president. Washington has increasingly relied on secondary sanctions to target foreign entities and nations that continue trading with sanctioned states.
Talks with Ukrainian Leadership
Blumenthal said he urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to speak directly with members of the House of Representatives, just as Zelenskyy previously did with senators. He noted that Zelenskyy agreed to hold the discussion with lawmakers.
Addressing questions about whether Donald Trump would fully enforce the law if enacted, Blumenthal said the US president would be forced to act. Blumenthal said Trump supports the bill and will use its sanctions and tariff powers as intended, noting that continued Russian oil sales would challenge both Trump and Congress. He added that the potential threat of sanctions would deter buyers in China and India from purchasing Russian oil due to the risk.
House Timeline and Senate Progress
Republican Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma, who visited Kyiv alongside Blumenthal and attended the National Prayer Breakfast with President Zelenskyy on August 23, 2026, said he refrained from promising a fast timeline to the Ukrainian leader. Speaking to Politico in Poland while travelling from Kyiv, Lankford said he informed Zelenskyy that the House plans to consider the bill in September, though he emphasized that he does not set the House schedule.
Lankford said Zelenskyy pressed for immediate economic action, noting that Moscow uses every dollar it receives from energy sales to buy weapons and kill Ukrainians. Blumenthal spent the past 18 months working as the primary partner to the late Senator Graham on the measure, which aims to increase economic pressure on both Russia and Iran.
On July 28, the Senate voted 86 to 12 to advance consideration of the broad Graham-Blumenthal sanctions package.
