(WASHINGTON D.C.) – The United States Senate has overwhelmingly backed tougher sanctions on Russia in a vote that could significantly restrict Moscow’s energy revenues, though doubts remain over whether President Trump will implement the measures.
The bill, which advanced by 86 votes to 12, targets Russia’s energy revenues, its shadow fleet of tankers and key officials while granting the president new powers to impose tariffs on countries purchasing Russian oil. The legislation was introduced by the late Senator Lindsey Graham and passed on the day of his funeral, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy watching from the Senate gallery.
Sir Bill Browder, a prominent campaigner for Magnitsky Act sanctions, told The Trump Report that the legislation would effectively place Moscow in a “checkmate” position if fully implemented. He said Russia would likely go bust within six to nine months of the measures taking effect because it would lose revenue from oil sales to countries including China, India and Turkey.
However, the campaigner expressed scepticism that President Trump would follow through on the measures. He noted that the bill merely grants the president authority rather than compelling him to act, and that Mr Trump had previously made “empty threats” against Russia without taking substantive action. He described the situation as “one big step away from catastrophe” for the Kremlin, with that step being Mr Trump’s decision to implement the sanctions.
The comments came as the conflict between the United States and Iran escalated further, with two significant retaliatory missile attacks on American bases in Jordan and Kuwait. The United States has launched two major waves of airstrikes in response, hitting dozens of targets during a two-hour operation followed by a second wave the next day.
Iran has warned the United States that it will “pay the price” after accusing Washington of striking and killing civilians on Qeshm Island. Tehran has vowed to retaliate against any attack on its territory or people and has stated it will not back down despite continued US military action.
Sir Bill suggested that Iran’s position is strengthened by its status as a dictatorship, where public opinion does not constrain decision-making. By contrast, he argued that the United States operates as a democracy where public opinion matters, and the Trump administration faces growing political pressure over rising gas prices and the cost of military operations.
Iran retains significant leverage through its ability to block oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, Sir Bill noted, adding that Iranian-backed Houthi forces could also disrupt shipping in the Red Sea. He said Tehran would use this leverage to its “maximum possible advantage” and that the Iranian regime can think in terms of years, whereas the US administration operates on a timescale of days and weeks.
Saudi Arabia, which has spent months attempting to avoid direct involvement, is now preparing for a ground offensive against Houthi forces. Sir Bill said the Saudis face an existential threat because their economy depends on exporting oil through the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea. He drew parallels to the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s, which lasted nearly a decade and cost hundreds of thousands of lives.
Ukraine has entered the conflict directly by targeting an Iranian vessel carrying military supplies to Russia in the Caspian Sea. Sir Bill said Iran is a “legitimate target” because it has supplied Shahed drones and drone technology to Russia since the invasion began, making it a major logistical ally in the illegal war against Ukraine.
Sir Bill told the programme that President Trump’s reluctance to hold the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin accountable is increasingly apparent. He cited the president’s recent remarks when a journalist suggested that Russia was providing Iran with targeting information to strike American air bases. Mr Trump responded that he would “check with Putin”, which Sir Bill said demonstrated the president is “on Putin’s side”.
The campaigner noted that Mr Trump has previously accepted gifts from foreign dictators, including a $400 million aircraft from Qatar and $500 million in cryptocurrency investment from Saudi interests. He said there is a consistent pattern of foreign governments enriching the president and his associates, with subsequent policy changes that are inconsistent with previous American positions.
Sir Bill suggested the situation will “not end well” for Mr Trump, noting that the majority of Americans, including Republicans, support military aid for Ukraine and view Putin as a war criminal. He observed that even within the MAGA movement, prominent figures are “defecting” from the president’s position on Ukraine.
The White House is reportedly in a state of “absolute apoplexy” over the Iran situation, with Sir Bill noting that Mr Trump is caught between an inability to withdraw and mounting political damage as the war continues.
Mr Trump’s approval rating has fallen to a record low of 32 percent, with only 28 percent approving of his handling of Iran – down from 34 per cent the previous month. Among Republicans, approval has fallen from 71 percent to 61 percent.
Sir Bill said he expects the Russian dictator to test NATO by provoking an Article 5 response, adding that he fears Mr Trump would not honour the alliance’s commitments. He said Russian dictator Putin is gambling that European countries might abandon military support for Ukraine if faced with direct threats.
A suspected Russian cruise missile has reportedly crossed into Polish airspace in recent days, which Sir Bill said demonstrates Moscow is already testing NATO’s response. He suggested this pattern of provocations would continue until the alliance is forced to respond.
The US Senate also failed by a single vote to rein in President Trump’s war powers, with Democrat John Fetterman crossing party lines to vote with Republicans. Sir Bill said this narrow margin indicated Congress is “increasingly uneasy” about the conflict. He observed that many members of Congress would vote against the war if not concerned about their careers, given that the conflict was never approved by Congress as the constitution requires.
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