Russia's Medvedev Calls for Military Deterrence Response to New US Sanctions Law

Former Russian President and current Security Council Deputy Chair Dmitry Medvedev has publicly called for Russia to respond to new US sanctions with military deterrence. The statement followed President Trump signing the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, which targets Russia's energy and defense sectors, government officials, financial entities, and a shadow fleet of tankers. The law also empowers the US president to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on major buyers of Russian energy, with potential implications for countries such as India and China. The legislation passed the House 262-159 and the Senate 86-11, and was championed by the late Senator Lindsey Graham.