A bipartisan group of Senators is introducing a new bill that will place Russia and Belarus on the State Sponsor of Terrorism list. Senator Lindsey Graham is lobbying President Donald Trump to support legislation that will put 500% tariffs on China and India for trading with Russia. 

Graham (R-SC) is joined by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Katie Britt (R-AL), who announced the legislation to add Russia and Belarus to the State Sponsor of Terror list on Thursday. The Senators claimed Russia has kidnapped 19,000 Ukrainian children. 

Starting soon: Press conference with @SenBlumenthal, @SenKatieBritt and @SenAmyKlobuchar on our legislation to designate Russia a state sponsor of terrorism if they do not return the more than 19,000 kidnapped Ukrainian children.

WATCH: https://t.co/UdmW0VKHvd

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) September 11, 2025

“It’s hard to get on that list. Well, let me tell you, Russia’s earned the right to be on this list,” Graham said. “We’re going to try to create another front against Putin’s Russia. The Russians have invaded Ukraine and they have kidnapped, we think, 19,546 Ukrainian children away from their families in Ukraine.”

Moscow says the children were relocated from orphanages in Ukrainian war zones for their safety. 

Additionally, Graham is pushing the White House to support a bill in Congress that will place massive tariffs on Russia’s trading partners. Before the Congressional summer recess, President Donald Trump had not given his green light for the Senate to take up the issue. 

However, Trump has recently expressed that India and Russia are now in a bloc led by China, and placed a 50% tariff on New Delhi. Graham said he spoke with the White House about the bill and believes he made progress in gaining Trump’s support. 

If the President gives his approval for the legislation, it will likely quickly pass the Senate, as the bill has racked up 80 co-sponsors.