U.S. President Donald Trump signed a law authorizing wide-ranging new sanctions against Russia, according to Sky News Arabia. The signing was reported on Friday, September 18, 2026.
The measure grants authority to impose fresh penalties on Russia, though the reporting available does not specify which targets, sectors or entities the law covers, nor when any sanctions would take effect.
The signing drew coverage across multiple Arabic-language outlets, including Al Arabiya, Al Riyadh and Monte Carlo Doualiya, which described the legislation as tightening sanctions on Russia. Monte Carlo Doualiya also reported that Moscow responded by threatening what it characterized as military deterrence.
Separately, Erm News reported that Moscow called Washington's talk of agreements before an end to the war with Ukraine "strange." That statement came alongside coverage of the sanctions law, though the reporting does not establish a direct link between the two.
Taken together, the reports indicate the new law has added to friction between Washington and Moscow at a time when the conflict in Ukraine remains unresolved. The available material does not include the text of the law, the vote counts behind it, or any comment from the White House or the Kremlin beyond what the outlets cited above reported.
What to watch next: whether the Trump administration names specific Russian targets for sanctions under the new authority, and how Moscow follows through on its stated response.