US President Donald Trump has signed a law imposing new sanctions on Russia, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for it to be implemented as soon as possible.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced this on 19 September.

The law in question is H.R. 5334, the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026.

It is named after the late US Senator Lindsey Graham, who was one of the leading advocates of stronger economic pressure on Russia.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy recalled that during his visits to Ukraine, Lindsey Graham repeatedly spoke of the need to put pressure not only on Russia itself but also on those who continue to buy Russian energy, provide financial services and do business with Kremlin-linked companies.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Donald Trump, as well as the senators and members of the House of Representatives who supported the legislation, and called for its provisions to be implemented as quickly as possible.

What the new sanctions provide for

The new law significantly expands US sanctions mechanisms. It provides for restrictions on Russian officials, financial institutions, state-owned companies and foreign entities that help Russia evade sanctions.

One of its key instruments is additional tariffs on the largest buyers of Russian energy. This idea was central to Lindsey Graham’s sanctions initiative: to make buying Russian oil more expensive for countries that thereby continue to fill Russia’s budget. During the Senate debate on the bill, it was stated explicitly that the aim of the mechanism is to cut Russia’s oil export revenues.

The law allows tariffs of up to 100% to be imposed on goods from countries that are among the largest buyers of Russian oil and gas or that actively help circumvent energy sanctions. This does not mean an automatic 100% tariff on every country that trades with Russia: how the mechanism is applied in practice will depend on decisions by the US administration.

The legislation also increases pressure on Russia’s financial sector and on the schemes that allow Russia to circumvent existing restrictions.

In the Senate, H.R. 5334 was passed by 86 votes to 11. Having cleared Congress and been signed by Donald Trump, it has become US law.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed that the best way to honour Lindsey Graham’s memory is not the passage of the law itself but its full implementation and continued pressure on Russia to bring the war to an end.

“Peace comes through strength. Calm comes through security. And the best guarantee of security is resolve,” the President concluded.