U.S. senators say White House agreed to advance updated Russia sanctions bill

What would the bill do?

According to the reporting, the bill would give the U.S. a way to penalize countries that continue purchasing Russian oil and natural gas, using tariffs or other sanctions to raise the cost of supporting Russia's energy trade Aol,Hindustan Times,NDTV.

Why is this bill getting attention now?

The senators said they had reached agreement with the Trump administration on an updated version of the legislation, which they described as progress that would allow them to move it forward after months of negotiation Reuters,NDTV,NY Post.

Who outside Russia could be affected?

Countries that keep buying Russian energy could face penalties under the proposal. Coverage specifically names India and China as the two biggest buyers of Russian oil, which is why the bill could have effects beyond the U.S.-Russia relationship Aol,Hindustan Times.