Russia should respond to new US sanctions with “military deterrence”, former president Dmitry Medvedev said on Saturday, without elaborating on what measures Moscow should consider.The comments came after Trump signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 on Friday. The White House said the law “authorizes and expands statutory sanctions, tariffs, and prohibitions on Russia and extends existing sanctions on Iran.”Medvedev, who is deputy chair of Russia’s Security Council and a senior ally of president Vladimir Putin, made the remarks on Telegram after US President Donald Trump signed a new sanctions law targeting Russia.“Even across the ocean, they hear only the language of direct military deterrence, and that is the language in which we should respond to Russophobic atrocities, such as the law of the dead terrorist, Graham,” Medvedev said, referring to the legislation named after the late US Senator Lindsey Graham.The legislation targets Russia’s energy and defence sectors, Russian officials, financial entities and the so-called “shadow fleet” of tankers used to evade sanctions. It also gives the US president authority to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on major purchasers of Russian oil and gas.The US house of representatives passed the measure 262-159 on Wednesday, following Senate approval by 86-11 in August. The bill was championed by Graham, a Republican and longtime critic of Moscow, who died in July.The new measures come as Russia’s war in Ukraine continues into its fifth year. Russian officials, including Putin, have repeatedly accused Ukraine and Western countries supporting Kyiv of being involved in what Moscow describes as terrorist activity. Kyiv has rejected such accusations.The legislation also has implications for countries that continue to purchase Russian energy. India has said it will continue buying oil through “diversified sourcing”. The new tariff powers could therefore add pressure on major Russian energy buyers, including India and China.Medvedev, who served as Russia’s president from 2008 to 2012 and later became deputy chair of the Security Council, has frequently criticised Western governments and Ukraine in public statements.
