Russian energy sanctions bill gets Trump deal, senators say

Four US senators said Friday they had reached an agreement with President Donald Trump to advance bipartisan legislation targeting countries that buy Russian energy.

Republicans Lindsey Graham and Roger Wicker and Democrats Richard Blumenthal and Jeanne Shaheen said they expected to unveil the updated legislation “very soon.”

The bill would give the president authority to impose tariffs and sanctions on countries that continue purchasing Russian energy, a major source of revenue for Moscow during the war in Ukraine.

The senators did not release details of the newly agreed version. An earlier proposal envisioned tariffs of up to 500 percent on imports from countries purchasing Russian oil, gas, uranium and other products.

China and India are among the biggest buyers of Russian oil.

The measure has been under negotiation for months and had struggled to advance amid a lukewarm response from the White House. The senators' announcement does not guarantee passage, and the White House did not immediately comment publicly on the agreement.