A bipartisan group of US senators has introduced a sweeping Russia sanctions bill that could give President Donald Trump the power to impose tariffs on countries continuing to buy Russian oil, with India among the five nations identified under the proposed legislation.
Unveiled on Capitol Hill on Tuesday (July 14), the bill targets Russia’s economy, energy sector, financial institutions, defence industry, business elites and President Vladimir Putin. It also includes a provision allowing the US administration to impose tariffs on imports from countries that continue to do business with Russia’s energy sector.
Although India has been named among the countries that could face tariffs, the legislation has not fixed any tariff rate. Instead, it authorises the US Trade Representative to decide the rate, subject to a maximum limit allowed under the bill.
The proposal needs approval from both the US Senate and the House of Representatives before it can be sent to President Trump for his signature.
India among five countries named
The legislation was introduced by Democratic Senators Richard Blumenthal and Jeanne Shaheen along with Republican Senators Roger Wicker, Katie Britt and several lawmakers from both parties.
According to Senator Blumenthal, the tariff provision applies to five of the largest buyers of Russian oil (India, China, Slovakia, Hungary and Azerbaijan).
The bill also covers countries purchasing Russian natural gas. It exempts nations importing less than 15 per cent of their gas from Russia if they are reducing those purchases, a provision that benefits many European allies.
Blumenthal said the tariff level has not so far been decided but added that he expects it to be high enough “to discourage strongly China, India and other major purchasers of Russian oil and gas”.
The legislation also allows the administration to waive tariffs in certain cases and requires it to inform the Congress if those tariffs are reduced later.
Sanctions on Russia
Apart from tariff powers, the bill proposes economic sanctions targeting large parts of Russia’s economy.
According to the senators, the measures would impose full blocking sanctions on Russia’s energy and banking sectors, defence industry, oligarchs and President Vladimir Putin.
Senator James Risch, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he had secured the inclusion of a separate provision aimed at Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” of oil tankers that have been used to bypass existing sanctions.
Lawmakers also said the present version is much narrower than earlier drafts. Earlier proposals covered as many as 63 countries, while the latest version is limited to a small group of major buyers of Russian oil and gas.
According to Blumenthal, the revised draft was prepared after consultations with the Trump administration, which has provided written support for the legislation.
Bill follows Lindsey Graham’s efforts
The legislation has been informally referred to by several senators as the “Lindsey Graham Russia Accountability Bill”.
Its introduction comes soon after the death of Senator Lindsey Graham, who had spent nearly two years working on the proposal. Fellow lawmakers described him as the driving force behind the legislation.
Senator Roger Wicker called it “Lindsey Graham’s greatest achievement”.
Senator Ted Cruz said Graham had personally negotiated the bill with President Trump before his death and urged lawmakers to pass it “overwhelmingly”.
Several senators said they expect the Senate to vote on the bill before the end of August once enough support has been secured.
India maintains energy security position
India has continued purchasing discounted Russian crude oil since 2022 despite repeated calls from Western countries to reduce imports.
New Delhi has consistently defended its purchases, saying they are guided by the country’s energy security needs and the need to keep fuel affordable for consumers. India has also argued that its purchases help maintain stability in global oil markets.
Earlier, a White House official confirmed that President Trump supports the proposed legislation.
Responding to a question on whether India could face fresh penalties for buying Russian crude, the official told ANI, “President Trump supports the bill.”
Under the proposal, the US president would have the authority to impose tariffs of up to 500 per cent on imports from countries doing business with Russia’s energy sector if the legislation becomes law.
