Saturday, 10 January, 2026
US President Donald Trump has thrown his weight behind a sweeping bipartisan bill that could see Washington impose tariffs of at least 500 percent on India and China for their imports of Russian oil, escalating tensions amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The legislation, titled the Sanctioning of Russia Act 2025, aims to strangle Russia’s energy revenue by targeting any country continuing to buy Russian oil, gas or uranium. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, co-sponsoring the bill with Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, warned the measure would grant the US president sweeping authority to punish nations “fueling Putin’s war machine.”
Under the bill, the president must assess every 90 days whether Russia has refused peace talks or violated an agreement. A negative determination would trigger automatic sanctions, including the staggering 500 percent tariffs on goods from offending countries.
Secondary sanctions would hit foreign banks and entities facilitating Russian energy transactions, while additional provisions seek to freeze Russian officials’ assets, ban Russian stocks on US exchanges, and prohibit US investment in Russia’s energy sector.
India and China, both significant buyers of Russian crude since the 2022 war, now face the prospect of crippling tariffs. India’s imports fell to a three-year low of 1.2 million barrels per day in December 2025, down from a peak of 2 million barrels per day in June 2024, but the bill would penalise even minimal trade.
Experts warn that if enacted, the legislation could spark a major international trade confrontation, severely disrupting energy markets and straining relations with two of the world’s fastest-growing economies.
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US President Donald Trump has thrown his weight behind a sweeping bipartisan bill that could see Washington impose tariffs of at least 500 percent on India and China for their imports of Russian oil, escalating tensions amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The legislation, titled the Sanctioning of Russia Act 2025, aims to strangle Russia’s energy revenue by targeting any country continuing to buy Russian oil, gas or uranium. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, co-sponsoring the bill with Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, warned the measure would grant the US president sweeping authority to punish nations “fueling Putin’s war machine.”
Under the bill, the president must assess every 90 days whether Russia has refused peace talks or violated an agreement. A negative determination would trigger automatic sanctions, including the staggering 500 percent tariffs on goods from offending countries.
Secondary sanctions would hit foreign banks and entities facilitating Russian energy transactions, while additional provisions seek to freeze Russian officials’ assets, ban Russian stocks on US exchanges, and prohibit US investment in Russia’s energy sector.
India and China, both significant buyers of Russian crude since the 2022 war, now face the prospect of crippling tariffs. India’s imports fell to a three-year low of 1.2 million barrels per day in December 2025, down from a peak of 2 million barrels per day in June 2024, but the bill would penalise even minimal trade.
Experts warn that if enacted, the legislation could spark a major international trade confrontation, severely disrupting energy markets and straining relations with two of the world’s fastest-growing economies.
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