Media: Congress saw surge of 11 new bills targeting Russia last year

In 2025, members of the US Congress introduced 11 separate legislative proposals aimed either at imposing new sanctions on Russia or tightening Washington’s overall policy toward Moscow in connection with the conflict in Ukraine.

According to Russian media, which reviewed US legislative activity, several of these initiatives were among the most far-reaching and sparked debate even among lawmakers.

The US Senate accounted for five of the proposals, each seeking to expand sanctions targeting Russian financial institutions, the energy sector, defence industry enterprises, and government officials.

One of the most prominent bills was introduced on April 1 by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal. Their proposal called for a 500 per cent tariff on goods imported from Russia, as well as on goods from any country that continues purchasing Russian petroleum products and uranium. The bill also envisaged a ban on exports of US energy resources to Russia. Although the initiative received support from 84 senators, its progress has stalled due to President Donald Trump’s stance. Trump has signalled that he intends to keep the “final word” on sanctions policy, prompting Senate leadership to delay further consideration.

In September and October, senators submitted two additional bills seeking to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. Both measures included supplementary sanctions involving export controls and financial restrictions. Then, in December, lawmakers introduced two more initiatives specifically targeting Russia’s oil exports: one proposing the seizure of vessels carrying Russian oil, and another calling for sanctions on foreign entities involved in transactions related to Russian oil.

The House of Representatives, meanwhile, introduced six separate sanctions-related bills throughout the year. These included proposals to block the transfer of military equipment to Russia, impose sanctions on North Korea for assisting Russia, create restrictions triggered by violations of a peace agreement with Ukraine, and tighten controls on foreign bank accounts linked to Russian financial networks.

Together, these 11 initiatives reflect a broad push within Congress to escalate economic pressure on Moscow, though several remain on hold pending the Trump administration’s position.

By Tamilla Hasanova