Ukraine's sanctions envoy heads to Washington to push Russia bill through House

Ukraine's top sanctions official is set to visit Washington this week to press members of the U.S. House of Representatives to pass sweeping Russia sanctions legislation that cleared the Senate but now faces opposition from senior Democrats.

Vladyslav Vlasiuk, who serves as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's sanctions commissioner, is due in the U.S. capital on Tuesday for meetings with lawmakers, according to two congressional aides. The visit comes as the House has yet to schedule a vote on the measure.

The bill, named the "Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026," is designed to sanction Russian officials and authorise tariffs of up to 100% on countries that remain major consumers of Russian energy, including India, Japan and several European Union states. The legislation is intended to cut off revenue streams that fund Moscow's war effort and signal continued U.S. support for Kyiv.

The measure passed the Senate on August 7 by a vote of 86-11, with backing from both Democrats and Republicans. It was championed by the late Senator Lindsey Graham, who died in July. President Donald Trump has expressed support for the bill.

However, House passage is not assured. Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said on Monday that his caucus has not settled on a position, noting that some senior Democrats worry the tariff provisions hand the administration excessive authority. "It risks providing tariff and sanctions authority to Donald Trump and his administration that we believe they will abuse," Jeffries told reporters as the House returned from its August recess.

Opponents also argue that Trump already possesses sufficient authority to impose stiff sanctions on Russia without new legislation. The debate unfolds as drone attacks have killed dozens of people in and around Kyiv in recent days.

Jeffries said he expects Democratic lawmakers to hold "serious conversations" about the bill this week. If approved by the House and signed into law, the measure would give the president discretion to impose and lift tariffs on major Russian energy consumers.