Trump signs law imposing tough new sanctions on Russia

US President Donald Trump has signed into law a fresh package of sanctions against Russia — coming in the fifth year of Ukraine's resistance to Russian aggression, backed by the West. The legislation gives the American leader the authority to impose tariffs of up to 100% on the five largest buyers of Russian oil or natural gas, including China and India.

In addition to trade tariffs, the law also provides for sanctions against senior Russian officials, financial institutions, and tankers belonging to the "shadow fleet" that Moscow uses to skirt Western restrictions. US media have already dubbed the new package "hell sanctions."

Remembering Senator Graham

"I wish Lindsey were here on this historic day," Darlene Graham, sister of the late Senator Lindsey Graham and his successor in the Senate, told the Associated Press. Graham was one of the most vocal advocates in Washington for supporting Ukraine in its fight against the full-scale Russian invasion launched on the orders of Russian President Vladimir Putin in February 2022.

The most ambitious move to back Kyiv yet

According to the Associated Press, this law represents the most ambitious attempt to support Ukraine since Trump returned to the White House in January 2025. Meanwhile, US diplomatic efforts to end the war have stalled for months, not least amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

In early September, Trump sent two of his special envoys to Moscow and Kyiv in an attempt to jump-start the stalled negotiations, but no meaningful progress has been made so far.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz