Kremlin Says New US Sanctions Law Will Undermine Ukraine Peace Efforts

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has stated that the US sanctions law signed by President Trump — the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 — will negatively affect prospects for peace in Ukraine and developments in Russian-American relations. The legislation allows tariffs of up to 100% on major buyers of Russian oil and gas, including potentially China and India, while giving Trump broad discretionary powers over enforcement. The Senate passed the bill 86-11 and the House 262-159. Both Russia and China have responded critically to the new law.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told RIA Novosti on Saturday that the newly enacted legislation — the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, signed by Trump on Friday — would have a negative effect on both peace prospects in Ukraine and the broader state of relations between Moscow and Washington, with the law introducing tighter restrictions on Russia and authorising tariffs of up to 100 percent on nations that buy Russian oil and gas. The legislation, co-authored by the late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal in 2025, remained inactive for several months as Trump pursued diplomatic channels with Russia and chose not to assign sole responsibility for the conflict to Moscow. The bill passed the Senate 86-11 the prior month before winning House passage by a 262-159 vote on Wednesday. Graham, who died suddenly in July, had characterised the draft bill as a measure designed to place substantial financial penalties on Russia. Peskov had earlier described the measure as a hostile step that would obstruct any path toward a negotiated end to the fighting in Ukraine, while the Russian Embassy in Washington argued that the legislation ran counter to Trump's goals, adding that restricting Russian energy sales during a period of reduced Middle Eastern supply could push fuel prices higher ahead of the midterm elections. The document characterised any military confrontation between Russia and China as an outcome harmful to both parties that would benefit only those within the Euro-Atlantic sphere who favour armed escalation, while Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun separately took issue with the legislation, maintaining that Beijing conducts trade and economic partnerships on the basis of equal footing and mutual gain, and that its commercial activities are not directed against any third country.

Kremlin Says New US Sanctions Law Will Undermine Ukraine Peace Efforts

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Kremlin Says New US Sanctions Law Will Undermine Ukraine Peace Efforts

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