US Congress passes sweeping Russia sanctions bill

WASHINGTON, Sept 17: US lawmakers approved broad new sanctions on Wednesday designed to squeeze Russia over its war in Ukraine, sending the legislation to President Donald Trump after months of delay.

The Republican-led House of Representatives passed the package by 262-159, giving a final congressional green light to the most substantial US legislative effort against Moscow since Trump returned to office.

Trump has said he will sign the measure, which sailed through the Senate in an 86-11 vote last month.

The legislation targets Russia's energy and defense sectors, President Vladimir Putin and other senior officials, as well as Moscow's so-called shadow fleet of tankers used to circumvent Western sanctions.

It also gives Trump authority to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on major buyers of Russian oil and gas -- including potentially China and India -- in an effort to choke off revenue financing Moscow's war.

Ukrainian President VolodymyrZelensky hailed the legislation's passage as "symbolic" and thanked US lawmakers. �"AFP