US defense bill could tighten sanctions on Belarus

The second amendment was introduced by senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Lindsey Graham — the latter is considered to be close to President Trump. Senator Graham is also the author of the "devastating sanctions" bill against Russia, which, as he announced on July 10, has already been approved by the White House.

This amendment seeks to establish mechanisms for the confiscation of property for participation in the war. It primarily concerns, as the authors write, "Russian kleptocrats," but may be extended to Belarus: specifically, any asset linked to aiding aggression or to occupied territories may be confiscated without a court order. The same applies to organizations that help circumvent sanctions.

The bill to which the amendments are being proposed is "S.4784 - An original bill to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2027 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes"; it allocates more than $1.14 trillion for defense needs.