War in Ukraine: Donald Trump signs the Graham Act, allowing new sanctions against Russia

The battle was tough, long and its finality remains uncertain. After more than a year of procrastination, Donald Trump signed, on Friday, September 18, a law bearing the name of Republican senator Lindsay Graham, who died in July, who was a fierce defender of Ukraine. The text offers an unprecedented range of sanctions against Russia, and indirectly against states assisting Moscow in its war effort.

Officials, financial institutions and oil ships from the Russian ghost fleet, used to circumvent sanctions already in place, are thus targeted. Donald Trump also has the possibility of imposing punitive customs duties – up to 100% – on the main buyers of Moscow’s oil, which include India and especially China. But it is improbable that the White House would want and be able to afford a trade war against Beijing, at this time of great strategic vulnerability.

Adopted in the Senate in August, the Graham bill passed the test of the House of Representatives on September 16, with several dozen Democrats joining Republican votes for once in favor of the text. “This law will paralyze the Russian war machine and finally push Putin to the negotiating table. It will make America’s adversaries – Russia, but also China and Iran – pay the price for their concerted campaign of aggression.”wanted to believe Michael McCaul (Texas), one of the influential Republican voices on foreign policy in Congress.

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