The U.S. Senate voted to advance a bill imposing tough new sanctions on Russia and Iran, drafted with the involvement of Senator Lindsey Graham, overcoming the first procedural hurdle in the legislative process, according to infohub.kz.
The vote allows the upper chamber to proceed to debate, which under the rules cannot exceed 30 hours. After that, a vote will be held on moving to direct consideration of the bill. If approved by a simple majority, discussions will begin, followed by another procedural vote requiring 60 votes. A final vote, also by simple majority, would then take place. The Senate must hold the final vote before August 6, when the upper chamber goes on recess. After that, both chambers of Congress will resume full work only in early September.
The bill provides for 100% tariffs on the five largest buyers of Russian energy and 500% tariffs on all imports from Russia to the United States. Exceptions are made for countries accounting for less than 15% of Russia's annual gas exports, provided they reduce purchases. The document also imposes sanctions on the Central Bank of Russia, Sberbank, VTB, and Gazprombank. Additionally, the initiative directs U.S. President Donald Trump to ensure a complete ban on imports of Russian uranium, including products from Rosatom, and to introduce regular restrictions against the corporation's leadership.