US Senator Graham says White House has agreed on Russia sanctions bill

US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has said he reached an agreement with the White House on a Russia sanctions bill that Donald Trump's administration is prepared to support.

Source: Graham during a press briefing in Kyiv on Friday 10 July, as reported by Interfax-Ukraine and European Pravda

Details: Graham said that he, Senators Richard Blumenthal and Jeanne Shaheen had worked with Trump's administration to ensure the bill would be acceptable to the White House and drafted in a way that it could support.

The senator noted that an agreement had been reached with the White House about half an hour earlier on a version of the Russia sanctions bill that the administration was prepared to support, adding that this meant the legislation now has a clear path to becoming law.

He added that, after returning to Washington, he and Blumenthal will approach Republican and Democratic leaders to determine whether time could be found to advance the Russia sanctions package.

Graham said he believes the legislation would provide Trump with additional tools to help bring the war to an end.

He also said he plans to hold talks with the US president and with countries purchasing discounted Russian oil while circumventing sanctions, in an effort to persuade them to help end the war.

Background:

• As early as mid-November 2025, Graham said Trump had "blessed" Congress to pass the long-stalled Russia sanctions bill.
• In January 2026, he said the US president had given the green light to the bipartisan Russia sanctions bill.

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