--- title: "\"Hellish sanctions\" against Russia: Trump prepares to sign law passed by the US Congress" description: "The US is approaching the introduction of \"hellish sanctions\" against Russia: Congress has passed the bill, and the White House has confirmed the signing. We break down the chronology and the reactions from Kyiv and Beijing." date: 2026-09-18T17:32:01.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/trump-signs-hellish-sanctions-law-against-russia tags: [trump, sanctions, russia, us-congress, secondary-sanctions, china] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # "Hellish sanctions" against Russia: Trump prepares to sign law passed by the US Congress ![Donald Trump at the Oval Office desk with a pen in hand, preparing to sign the 'hellish sanctions' law against Russia](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/19/tramp-podpisal-zakon-ob-adskih-sankciyah-protiv-rossii/tramp-podpisal-zakon-ob-adskih-sankciyah-protiv-rossii-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - The US Congress passed the "hellish sanctions" bill against Russia and Iran: the Senate β€” 86 to 11, the House of Representatives β€” 252 to 154. - The White House confirmed that Donald Trump will sign the law; according to media reports, the signing is scheduled for 16:30 local time. - Ukraine, through its sanctions envoy Vlasyuk, explained that secondary sanctions could affect a number of Russia's partner countries. - China stated that the "hellish sanctions" passed by Congress have no legal basis and contradict international law. - There is a discrepancy between sources: some media report on an upcoming signing, others on one that has already taken place. The White House is finalizing preparations for one of Washington's sharpest sanctions moves against Moscow. According to RBC-Ukraine, citing a statement by Radio Free Europe correspondent Alex Raufoglu, US President Donald Trump is set to sign the "hellish sanctions" law against Russia at 16:30 local time (23:30 Kyiv time). A White House official had earlier separately confirmed that signing the bill is scheduled. The document, dubbed the "hellish sanctions" law in the media, is aimed at the aggressor state and also covers Iran. ### The bill's path through Congress Before signing, the document went through the full congressional cycle. According to the data provided, on August 7 the US Senate approved the "hellish sanctions" against Russia and Iran: 86 senators voted in favor of the bill, authored by Lindsey Graham, while 11 voted against. After that, the House of Representatives of Congress finally adopted the same bill β€” at the final vote, 252 deputies supported the document against 154. Thus, only the signing stage remained before the president, turning the text adopted by Congress into a law in force. ### Ukraine's sanctions policy and the scope of countries covered Kyiv is actively tracking the preparation of the American package. Ukraine's Presidential Envoy for Sanctions Policy, Vladyslav Vlasyuk, publicly explained which specific countries and jurisdictions could be hit by the US "hellish sanctions," emphasizing their secondary, "cascading" nature: the restrictions can affect not only Russian entities, but also states and companies that continue to work with Moscow. This makes the package a tool of pressure on the entire orbit of Russia's partners, not just on the Russian Federation itself. ### Beijing's reaction China displayed an unexpectedly sharp reaction to Congress's adoption of the "hellish sanctions." The PRC authorities stated that the measures adopted by the US parliament against Russia have no legal basis and contradict international law. This position is important because China is one of Russia's key economic partners and a potential target of secondary sanctions; Beijing's public rejection of the law could complicate its practical application and become an element of diplomatic bargaining. ### Contradictory data There is a notable discrepancy between sources on the status and chronology of the signing. On the one hand, RBC-Ukraine (citing Radio Free Europe) frames the event as upcoming: Trump "will sign the law today" at 16:30 local time. On the other hand, a number of outlets are already reporting on a signing that has already taken place and quote expert reactions to the already-adopted document, i.e., they operate in the past tense. In addition, the text gives the date of Senate approval β€” August 7 β€” which does not match the wording "today" given the current publication date and may point to different stages of the process (vote vs. signing) or to a discrepancy in dates among sources. Until the official text of the signed law is released by the White House, the exact moment the document enters into force remains subject to clarification. In any case, the totality of confirmed facts β€” Senate approval (86 to 11), adoption by the House of Representatives (252 to 154), and the White House's confirmed intention to sign the document β€” indicates that the "hellish sanctions" against Russia are moving from the bill stage to the stage of legislation in force. The main uncertainties remain the exact date of signing and the practical scope of the secondary restrictions, which, according to Ukrainian officials, could hit a whole range of countries. ## πŸ” Fact-Check Verification - [Trump to sign the "hellish sanctions" law against Russia today, - media](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/tramp-sogodni-pidpishe-zakon-pekelni-sanktsiyi-1789752316.html) - Основной источник: подписаниС Π² 16:30 ΠΏΠΎ мСстному (23:30 киСвскоС), ссылка Π½Π° Π Π°Π΄ΠΈΠΎ Π‘Π²ΠΎΠ±ΠΎΠ΄Π° (А. Π Π°ΡƒΡ„ΠΎΠ³Π»Ρƒ); Π‘Π΅Π½Π°Ρ‚ 7 августа 86-11, ΠŸΠ°Π»Π°Ρ‚Π° 252-154; ΠΏΠΎΠ΄Ρ‚Π²Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠ΄Π΅Π½ΠΈΠ΅ Π‘Π΅Π»ΠΎΠ³ΠΎ Π΄ΠΎΠΌΠ°; позиция Π’Π»Π°ΡΡŽΠΊΠ° ΠΈ ΠšΠΈΡ‚Π°Ρ. - [Trump signed the "hellish sanctions" law against Russia: expert reactions](https://vfokuse.mail.ru/news/69643350-tramp-podpisal-zakon-ob-adskih-sankciyah-protiv-rossii-reakciya-ekspertov/) - Π˜ΡΠΏΠΎΠ»ΡŒΠ·ΡƒΠ΅Ρ‚ ΠΏΡ€ΠΎΡˆΠ΅Π΄ΡˆΠ΅Π΅ врСмя («подписал») ΠΈ ΠΏΡ€ΠΈΠ²ΠΎΠ΄ΠΈΡ‚ Ρ€Π΅Π°ΠΊΡ†ΠΈΡŽ экспСртов β€” ΡƒΠΊΠ°Π·Ρ‹Π²Π°Π΅Ρ‚ Π½Π° Π²ΠΎΠ·ΠΌΠΎΠΆΠ½ΠΎΠ΅ ΡƒΠΆΠ΅ ΡΠΎΡΡ‚ΠΎΡΠ²ΡˆΠ΅Π΅ΡΡ подписаниС, Ρ‡Ρ‚ΠΎ расходится с Ρ„ΠΎΡ€ΠΌΡƒΠ»ΠΈΡ€ΠΎΠ²ΠΊΠΎΠΉ Β«ΠΏΠΎΠ΄ΠΏΠΈΡˆΠ΅Ρ‚ сСгодня» Ρƒ ID 1. - [Trump gave the green light to "hellish" anti-Russian sanctions](https://news.ru/usa/tramp-dal-razreshenie-na-uzhestochenie-antirossijskih-sankcij) - ΠŸΠΎΠ΄Ρ‚Π²Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠ΄Π°Π΅Ρ‚ Ρ„Π°ΠΊΡ‚ одобрСния/Ρ€Π°Π·Ρ€Π΅ΡˆΠ΅Π½ΠΈΡ Π½Π° уТСсточСниС антироссийских санкций; Ρ‚Π°ΠΊΠΆΠ΅ ΠΎΠΏΠ΅Ρ€ΠΈΡ€ΡƒΠ΅Ρ‚ ΡΠΎΡΡ‚ΠΎΡΠ²ΡˆΠΈΠΌΡΡ дСйствиСм. - [It became known why Trump supported the "hellish" sanctions against Russia](https://svpressa.ru/politic/news/532766/) - ΠŸΠΎΠ΄Ρ‚Π²Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠ΄Π°Π΅Ρ‚ ΠΏΠΎΠ΄Π΄Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠΊΡƒ Π’Ρ€Π°ΠΌΠΏΠ° «адских» санкций; контСкст ΠΌΠΎΡ‚ΠΈΠ²Π°Ρ†ΠΈΠΈ, Π±Π΅Π· ΠΏΡ€ΠΎΡ‚ΠΈΠ²ΠΎΡ€Π΅Ρ‡ΠΈΠΉ ΠΏΠΎ Ρ„Π°ΠΊΡ‚Ρƒ принятия ΠšΠΎΠ½Π³Ρ€Π΅ΡΡΠΎΠΌ. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: What are the "hellish sanctions" against Russia? **A:** This is a US Congressional bill (authored by Lindsey Graham) on strict sanctions against Russia and Iran, which, according to Ukrainian officials, includes secondary restrictions that can affect countries and companies continuing to work with Moscow. ### Q: Has the law been passed by the US Congress? **A:** Yes. According to the data provided, the Senate approved it on August 7 (86 to 11), and the House of Representatives finally adopted it at the final vote (252 to 154). ### Q: Has Donald Trump signed the law? **A:** The White House confirmed the intention to sign the document, and media reported that the signing was scheduled for 16:30 local time. At the same time, some outlets are already reporting on a signing that has already taken place β€” the exact moment needs to be verified against the official White House text. ### Q: How did China react? **A:** China stated that the "hellish sanctions" against Russia passed by Congress have no legal basis and contradict international law.