Kaine, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Hold Purchasers of Russian Oil Accountable

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees, joined a bipartisan group of his colleagues led by Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) in introducing legislation negotiated with the late Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and the White House to hold major purchasers of Russian oil and gas accountable for supporting Russia's war in Ukraine.

The Sanctioning Russia Act would impose primary and secondary sanctions against Russia and actors supporting Russia's war in Ukraine. The sanctions target Russian officials, oligarchs, their family members, foreign persons, and Russian banks and financial institutions, as well as the Russian Shadow Fleet. The legislation also enables the President to impose tariffs on imported goods from countries that buy the majority of Russian oil, gas, and enable Russian sanctions evasion. The new text limits these tariffs to up to 100 percent and to only the five largest importers of Russian crude oil and gas and to major sanctions evaders.

"This is a pivotal moment in the Ukrainian people's fight to protect their freedom," said Kaine. "While Ukraine continues to demonstrate impressive resilience and patriotism and real expertise on the battlefield, Russians are becoming increasingly exhausted by Putin's war, which his own finance officials are telling him he can't afford. This is the perfect time for the United States to bring down the full force of comprehensive sanctions on Russia, and I'm proud to join a bipartisan group of colleagues in putting forward a plan that would do that."

In addition to Kaine and Blumenthal, the legislation was announced by U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD); U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-AL); U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Co-Chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus; U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS), Chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee; U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI); U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-ID), Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-DE); U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee; U.S. Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO); U.S. Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR), Chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence; U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee; U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), Chair of the Senate Banking Committee; U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME); U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), Majority Whip; U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee; U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY); U.S. Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ); U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC); U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY); U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA); U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV); U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE); U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI); U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX); U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA); U.S. Senator Tim Sheehy (R-MT); U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN); U.S. Senator John Curtis (R-UT); U.S. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA); U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK); U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL); U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI); U.S. Senator James Lankford (R-OK); U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper (D-CO); U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS); U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM); U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN); U.S. Senator Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD); U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR); U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD); U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND); U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV); U.S. Senator Jon Husted (R-OH); U.S. Senator John Hoeven (R-ND); U.S. Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE); U.S. Senator Jim Justice (R-WV); U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD); U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX); U.S. Senator John Kennedy (R-LA); U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY); U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK); U.S. Senator Rick Scott (R-FL); U.S. Senator Ted Budd (R-NC); U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS); U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL); U.S. Senator Dave McCormick (R-PA); U.S. Senator Alan Armstrong (R-OK); and U.S. Senator Steve Daines (R-MT).

Kaine has been an outspoken advocate for legislation to check Russian power. He recently introduced the Fast Tracking European Investment in Ukraine's Defense Act, a bipartisan bill that would boost Ukraine's defense by allowing for the more consistent and timely provision of high-volume, low-tech munitions critical to the country's fight against Russian aggression. He has introduced the bipartisan Seized Assets for Battlefield Equipment and Readiness (SABER) Act, which would amend current law to allow Ukraine to use assets confiscated from the Central Bank of the Russian Federation and other Russian sovereign assets for the purchase of military equipment. Kaine also sponsored the No Oil Profits for Enemies (NOPE) Act, a bipartisan bill that would strengthen U.S. sanctions against Russia and prevent it from profiting off ongoing hostilities with Iran. Last year, he introduced the Sanctioning Harbors and Dodgers of Western Sanctions (SHADOW) Fleets Act, which would vastly expand U.S. sanctions authorities to target a collection of older, reflagged oil tankers that Russia has weaponized to circumvent existing sanctions on Russian oil and gas revenues. The bill passed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last January.

Full text of the legislation can be found here.

###