Sanctions — 2026-09-07

Zelensky Says Ukraine Counts on US Passing New Russia Sanctions Package

BLUFKyiv's pivot to Congress as its primary sanctions lever is unlikely to yield House passage by October 7, leaving Ukraine without meaningful economic pressure tools outside the stalled Witkoff-Kushner negotiation track.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that Ukraine is counting on the US Congress to pass a new sanctions package against Russia, speaking at a joint press conference with US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner 12. Zelensky credited Senator Lindsey Graham for the legislation and said Ukraine had received positive signals in prior meetings while awaiting a vote 1. He said sanctions were not raised or discussed during Sunday's meeting with Witkoff and Kushner, which focused on reviving negotiations, and separately noted Senator Richard Blumenthal had told him the bill had a good chance of reaching a vote 23. Ukrinform reported that the Senate passed the Graham sanctions bill on August 7 and sent it to the House, where Blumenthal has said he hopes for a vote this month 1.

Analysis
Zelensky's public deferral to Graham's Senate-passed sanctions bill, explicitly separated from the Witkoff-Kushner negotiating track, signals Kyiv's leverage now runs through Congress rather than the White House. House passage by October 7 is unlikely, given no scheduled floor vote and Blumenthal's own framing of a vote as hope rather than commitment. Moderate confidence reflects consistent sourcing on Senate passage and sponsor statements but no visibility into House leadership's scheduling calculus. The reporting itself traces to a single Ukrinform account of the press conference, with other outlets merely republishing the same quotes. Zelensky's praise for Graham may be aimed less at informing Ukrainians than at pressuring House leadership directly. Continued delay would leave Kyiv's sanctions pressure entirely dependent on the stalled Witkoff-Kushner track through the winter, while passage would hand the administration fresh leverage to pair with that negotiation.

4 sources