The US and the EU are preparing severe sanctions against Russia.

The US Senate will consider a bill that would allow President Donald Trump to impose 500% tariffs on countries that buy Russian goods, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said. However, Ukrainian President’s Commissioner for Sanctions Policy Vladyslav Vlasiuk believes Graham’s bill will pass, but not in its current form.

Simultaneously, the EU has begun work on its 19th Russian sanctions package, which should include port infrastructure in addition to the ships of the Russian shadow fleet. Vlasiuk notes that the EU has not yet agreed on the adoption of the 18th package of sanctions, which, among other things, proposes to lower the price ceiling for Russian oil from $60 to $45 per barrel, as Greece, Cyprus, and Malta oppose this. Under the current price ceiling, they can transport Russian oil without restrictions. Ukraine expects that this package will still be agreed upon this week.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, in turn, stated that the EU, at France’s initiative and in coordination with American senators, is preparing to introduce the toughest sanctions against Russia that have been levied since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. These will target Russia’s oil revenue, financial structures, and intermediaries in third countries.