Sanction Putin’s war machine — just don’t hand Trump another blank tariff check

Published September 2, 2026 9:00am ET



Congress should pass tougher sanctions on Russia. President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine should carry real consequences, and countries helping finance it through purchases of Russian oil and gas should not get a free pass.

The Senate overwhelmingly agreed. To its credit, it also improved the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act before passing it. The current legislation more carefully identifies which countries can be targeted and requires the executive branch to explain its methodology and justify the tariff rate it chooses.

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