US lawmakers urged Trump not to ease sanctions against Russia and to invoke "Graham Act"
A bipartisan group of members of the U.S. House of Representatives has called on President Donald Trump not to ease sanctions against Russia and to impose the new restrictions provided for in the Lindsey Graham Act. Lawmakers expect the first round of sanctions to be imposed by October 18.
According to Censor.NET, this is mentioned in a joint letter from members of the Congressional Ukraine Support Group.
The letter was signed by representatives of both parties—Marcy Kaptur, Brian Fitzpatrick, Mike Quigley, and Joe Wilson. They called on the Trump administration not to ease the sanctions imposed on Russia due to its invasion of Ukraine.
The letter came after media reports that the Trump administration was considering pressing Moscow to release political prisoners in exchange for easing sanctions and restoring economic ties with Russia.
Members of Congress opposed this approach, stating that, in their view, easing sanctions would only embolden the Kremlin and contribute to the continuation of the war.
"Easing sanctions will embolden Russia and prolong the war," the authors of the appeal emphasized.
Instead, they called on the White House to begin implementing the sanctions provided for in the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026. The law, in particular, provides for sanctions against Russian officials, financial institutions, and entities associated with the Russian Federation’s defense and energy sectors.
"We look forward to the administration's first round of new sanctions by October 18—the first deadline set forth in the Lindsey O. Graham Act on Sanctions Against Russia and Iran—and urge the administration to act swiftly to increase economic pressure on Russia," the letter states.
Lawmakers also stated that, in their view, achieving peace in Europe requires maintaining pressure on Russia.
