New Bill Proposes Sweeping Russia Sanctions: Financial Freeze, 500% Tariffs, and Energy Bans on the Table

This proposed legislation, the 'Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025,' lays out a plan for some serious economic pressure on Russia. If the President determines Russia isn't playing ball on peace talks with Ukraine, or takes further aggressive action (defined broadly to include cyber attacks and undermining Ukraine's government), this bill triggers a cascade of sanctions within 15 days, hitting individuals, banks, and entire industries.

Who Gets Hit First?

The bill targets the highest levels of the Russian government – think President, Prime Minister, key ministers, military brass, and intelligence chiefs (Section 5). It also goes after oligarchs and anyone, foreign or domestic, caught helping Russia's military, messing with Ukraine's stability, engaging in corruption, or even trying to dodge these sanctions. If you're on this list, any assets you have in the U.S. get frozen, and forget about getting a visa.

Squeezing the Financial Flow

This isn't just about individuals; it's a full-court press on Russia's financial system. Major banks like Sberbank, VTB, and Gazprombank, plus the Central Bank itself, face having their U.S. assets blocked and potentially being cut off from essential banking services like correspondent accounts (Section 6). The bill also aims to block U.S. financial institutions from processing most fund transfers involving Russia (Section 8) and prohibits U.S. firms (including investment companies and hedge funds) from investing in entities tied to the Russian government or military (Section 10). Furthermore, Russian companies could get kicked off U.S. stock exchanges (Section 9), and buying new Russian government debt would be off-limits for Americans (Section 12). Even international financial messaging services (think SWIFT) could face sanctions if they keep serving sanctioned Russian banks (Section 13).

Trade and Energy Under Pressure

The bill takes aim at Russia's energy sector and trade relationships. It proposes banning U.S. energy exports to Russia and prohibiting Americans from investing in Russia's energy projects (Section 11). It also specifically targets Russian uranium, banning imports directly from Russia or Rosatom State Corporation, and even from countries using Russian-sourced uranium (Section 14). Perhaps most dramatically, it mandates a minimum 500% tariff on all goods and services imported from Russia (Section 15). That's not a typo – five hundred percent, potentially driving up prices significantly on any Russian products still reaching U.S. shores. It doesn't stop there; countries buying Russian oil, gas, or uranium could also face similar 500% tariffs on their goods entering the U.S. (Section 17), though the President could waive this under specific national security conditions.

The Fine Print and The Off-Ramp

While the sanctions are broad, there are exceptions for humanitarian aid (though Section 8's fund transfer ban might complicate this), intelligence activities, and U.S. obligations under international agreements (Section 18). The bill leans on existing powers (like the International Emergency Economic Powers Act) for enforcement and penalties (Section 19). It also incorporates sanctions under the existing CAATSA framework (Section 16). There is an exit strategy: the President can lift these measures by certifying to Congress that Russia has stopped the problematic actions and signed a peace deal with Ukraine. But, if Russia backslides, the sanctions snap right back into place (Section 20).