Four U.S. senators said they had reached an agreement with President Donald Trump’s administration on advancing an updated sanctions bill targeting Russia and buyers of Russian energy.
The joint announcement was made by Senators Richard Blumenthal, Lindsey Graham, Jeanne Shaheen and Roger Wicker.
They said lawmakers and the executive branch had agreed to continue work on measures intended to raise the economic cost for countries and companies purchasing Russian oil and gas.
The initiative had been under discussion in Congress for more than a year, but its progress depended in part on the White House’s position.
As of July 10, the development amounted to a political agreement to move the legislation forward. The new sanctions had not yet been enacted or taken effect.