WASHINGTON -- Ukraine's top sanctions official has arrived in Washington seeking to keep alive a sweeping sanctions bill that cleared the Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support but now faces a tougher test in the House of Representatives.
Vladyslav Vlasiuk, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's sanctions commissioner, is scheduled to meet lawmakers as Kyiv presses Congress to advance the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026.
The legislation passed the Senate on August 7 by an 86-11 vote, reflecting rare bipartisan agreement.
But the bill has yet to receive a vote in the House, where Democrats have raised concerns about provisions that would give President Donald Trump authority to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on countries that buy Russian oil and gas or help Moscow evade sanctions.
Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said on August 31 that his caucus had not taken a position on the bill. Democrats are concerned the legislation could give Trump additional tariff and sanctions powers that his administration could use too broadly.
From Senate Landslide To House Uncertainty
The legislation is the product of more than a year of negotiations involving Congress, the White House, and Ukrainian officials.
It was championed by the late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who reached an agreement with the Trump administration before his death in July. A bipartisan group of senators subsequently carried the measure forward.
The Senate version would impose sanctions on Russian officials, oligarchs, and their family members, as well as financial institutions and foreign entities supporting Moscow's war effort. It also targets Russia's so-called shadow fleet, vessels used to transport oil and circumvent Western restrictions.
The package extends the Iran Sanctions Act and includes measures targeting Iran's energy and weapons sectors.
The White House has backed the legislation, portraying it as another tool Trump could use to increase pressure on Moscow and push Russia toward negotiations.
The most contentious provision involves tariffs. Earlier versions of the bill contemplated tariffs as high as 500 percent. The Senate-passed version lowered the maximum to 100 percent and narrowed the measure to major purchasers of Russian oil or gas and countries involved in sanctions evasion.
China and India could face some of the greatest exposure because of their purchases of Russian energy.
Supporters argue that the provision is intended to give the White House leverage over countries that continue buying Russian energy rather than automatically trigger a sweeping trade war. Critics question how much discretion it would give Trump over when tariffs are imposed or lifted.
Republican Representative Don Bacon of Nebraska is among those urging the House to act despite the disagreements.
"The Russian Sanctions bill passed 86-11. The House should vote on this ASAP," Bacon said on August 31. "Some are letting perfection be the enemy of good in the House. Congress must take clear action in support of Ukraine and in opposition to Putin, and do it now."
Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, a Democratic supporter of tougher measures against Moscow, called for congressional action on August 31 while criticizing the Trump administration's treatment of a senior Russian official.
"As Russia kills civilians in Ukraine, the White House hosts Putin's sanctioned finance minister on US soil," Shaheen said, referring to Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov's attendance at a G20 meeting in North Carolina on August 31. "The Trump Admin needs to pressure Putin and his cronies, not offer them a platform. With the House back in DC, it's time to pass Russia sanctions."
Ukraine Makes Its Case
Vlasiuk's visit comes as Ukraine seeks to keep lawmakers focused on Russia's ability to finance and sustain its war.
Kyiv has long argued that Russia's war effort depends heavily on revenue from energy exports and on networks of companies, financial institutions, and intermediaries that help Moscow circumvent sanctions.
Ukrainian officials have increasingly urged Western governments to target those networks rather than simply add individual Russian officials to sanctions lists.
Vlasiuk has also worked with European governments to coordinate sanctions against Russian weapons manufacturers and foreign suppliers supporting Russia's defense industry.
In August, he told RFE/RL that the Senate vote sent "a strong signal from the American people" that Russia must face a higher price for its aggression and that support for Ukraine remains strong.
"We now look forward to the bill's passage by the House and its final approval by Congress," Vlasiuk said.
Zelenskyy's Role
During his July visit to Washington, Zelenskyy met with senators and urged them to advance the sanctions package after months of congressional uncertainty. His intervention helped produce the 86-11 vote and demonstrated that support for additional pressure on Moscow could still cross party lines.
Senator Richard Blumenthal, one of the legislation's Democratic supporters, has argued that the measure could increase the economic cost of Russia's war and strengthen Washington's leverage in negotiations.
The Senate rejected an amendment that would have removed the provision concerning duties on countries purchasing Russian-origin crude oil or natural gas or facilitating sanctions evasion. The amendment failed 32-64 before the final bill passed 86-11.
That vote underscored the importance supporters place on the tariff mechanism as a way to make the sanctions more effective.
Blumenthal has said he offered to have Zelenskyy return to Washington to personally address House members, as he did with senators. As of August 31, however, it was unclear whether such a visit could take place in the coming weeks.
The Politics Of Delay
The immediate question is whether House leaders can preserve enough of the Senate coalition to bring the bill to the floor.
Speaker Mike Johnson has not committed to a vote, and the legislation is competing for attention with funding measures and other priorities as lawmakers return from their summer recess.
The House's narrow Republican majority makes bipartisan negotiations especially important.
For Ukraine, delay carries risks. Kyiv wants the focus to remain on Russia's war economy: its oil revenue, sanctions-evasion networks, and ability to sustain weapons production.
The Senate vote gave Kyiv evidence that bipartisan support for tougher Russia sanctions remains strong. But a prolonged House fight could turn that consensus into a broader argument over Trump's trade powers.
