The US Senate has advanced a sweeping bipartisan sanctions bill targeting Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin and Iran, in a move seen as a significant step towards ending the war in Ukraine. Though not the final vote needed to pass the measure, this latest procedural victory carries symbolic weight as it revives a long-stalled effort originally championed by the late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, whose name the bill now bears.

The legislation, now titled the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, is being driven forward with cross-party support, including from Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Katie Britt. Senate leaders are hoping to finish work on the package within the coming week, with the aim of severely restricting Russia's capacity to sustain its war effort while also increasing pressure on Iran.