Senators Urge Russia Sanctions Action Before Deadline

Bipartisan Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Roger Wicker sent an Oct. 7, 2026 letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urging swift implementation of the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act. President Trump signed the law on Sept. 18, 2026; most provisions take effect Oct. 18 after a 30-day review. The senators wrote that every day without maximum economic pressure allows Moscow to sustain military escalation, and that foreign banks must choose between business with the United States or financing Russia's war. They urged matching the EU and UK's more than 600 shadow-fleet vessel designations against the U.S. total of 216, most from early 2025, and targeting intermediaries in the UAE, Dubai and Hong Kong they said Russia uses to bypass October 2025 Lukoil and Rosneft sanctions. Other targets listed include the A7 financial network, VTB Bank's Shanghai branch, Kyrgyzstan institutions, dual-use suppliers in China, UAE and Turkey, Rassvet satellite firms Bureau 1440, 5C Group and Eltex Enterprise LLC, and clarity on a possible multi-billion-dollar Lukoil international assets deal. Contested: none found in record. Left-rated outlets stressed Ukraine aid, North Korean troops and full target lists; the right-rated piece stayed near the wire summary. The record shows no major administration implementation steps announced since signing.