Trump signed the law on sanctions against Russia

U.S. President Donald Trump signed into law late last night the introduction of new sanctions against Russia due to the war in Ukraine, which primarily target the Russian energy sector, the White House announced.

The law, which represents the first major action Congress has taken against Moscow since the American president’s return to the White House, is named after its main initiator, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who passed away in July.

Graham was a fervent defender of Ukraine and a fierce critic of Russia and Iran. The law also has strong support from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

This new legislative arsenal targets for the first time Russia’s phantom fleet that circumvents international sanctions and President Vladimir Putin, as well as other high-ranking Russian officials.

The law gives Trump, who has so far been relatively lenient toward Moscow, the authority to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on five main importers of Russian gas and oil, including China and India.

The law was adopted in the House of Representatives on Thursday, after already being passed in the Senate, the upper chamber of the U.S. Congress, in August.