Trump backs sanctions bill proposing steep tariffs on buyers of Russian oil

US President Donald Trump has endorsed a bipartisan sanctions bill that could impose punitive tariffs of up to 500 per cent on countries purchasing Russian oil, a move aimed at squeezing Moscow’s revenues and increasing pressure on its trading partners, including India, China and Brazil.

The backing was confirmed by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who said the proposed legislation would give the White House “tremendous leverage” to discourage countries from buying discounted Russian energy that, he argued, was helping to finance the war in Ukraine.

In a post on X on Wednesday, Graham said Trump had given the green light to the Russia sanctions bill following a meeting at the White House. The legislation has been co-sponsored by Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal and several others, reflecting broad bipartisan support.

According to Graham, the bill is designed to allow the US president to impose secondary tariffs and sanctions on countries that continue to purchase Russian oil and gas. He said it was timely, claiming Ukraine was making concessions in pursuit of peace while Russian President Vladimir Putin continued military operations.

The proposed law, titled the Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025, would allow tariffs of up to 500 per cent on the secondary purchase or resale of Russian oil. Graham said nearly all members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee had signed on as co-sponsors, and he expressed hope that the bill could be put to a vote as early as next week.

Trump has already imposed some of the world’s highest tariffs on India, including a 50 per cent duty, with 25 per cent linked specifically to New Delhi’s purchases of Russian energy. Graham said such measures were proving effective, claiming that pressure on Russia’s customers was key to ending the conflict.

Speaking earlier this week, Graham said India’s ambassador to the US, Vinay Kwatra, had informed him that New Delhi was reducing its intake of Russian oil and had urged Washington to reconsider the tariffs imposed on India. Graham said he conveyed this message to Trump while discussing the proposed sanctions during a recent flight on Air Force One.

According to Graham, Trump remarked that sanctions were hurting Russia “very badly” and specifically referenced India when discussing the impact of US tariffs. The senator said the threat of additional trade penalties had made continued purchases of cheap Russian oil a more difficult decision for countries seeking to maintain access to the US market.

Last month, Ambassador Kwatra hosted a group of US senators, including Graham and Blumenthal, at India House in Washington. The meeting focused on the broader India–US partnership, covering areas such as energy, defence cooperation, trade and key global developments, underscoring the complexity of balancing strategic ties alongside the escalating sanctions pressure.

With PTI inputs