New Zealand unveils new sanctions against Russia

Wellington: New Zealand on Saturday announced a new round of sanctions against those supporting Russia’s conflict with Ukraine.

Thirty-three individuals and entities were targeted in the sanctions package unveiled by Foreign Minister Winston Peters.

New Zealand enforced the Russia Sanctions Act in March 2022 and has moved against more than 2,000 individuals, entities and vessels ever since in its 36 rounds of sanctions, reports Xinhua news agency.

In a separate development, the US Senate passed a sweeping Russia sanctions bill that does not name India but could expose it and other major buyers of Russian energy to tariffs of up to 100 per cent.

Passed by the Senate by an 86-11 vote, the Lindsey Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 now goes to the House of Representatives, where senior Democrats have objected to its tariff provisions.

The legislation requires the administration to identify countries using trade data rather than naming them in the statute. It covers the five largest importers of Russian crude oil, the five largest importers of Russian natural gas and the five leading countries facilitating Russian oil sanctions evasion.

Those determinations would be based on the most recent 12-month period and reviewed every 180 days.

The bill would impose primary and secondary sanctions against Russian officials, oligarchs, their family members, banks and financial institutions. It also targets foreign actors supporting Moscow’s war in Ukraine and Russia’s so-called shadow fleet used to transport oil and evade sanctions.

The legislation was named after Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who negotiated an agreement with the White House before his sudden death on July 11. Senators accelerated work on the measure after his death. It would also extend the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 until 2031. The law penalises companies investing in Iran’s energy sector.

IANS