US President clears Russia sanctions billWarns of 500% tariffs on countries buying Russian oil

New Delhi, Jan 8: US President Donald Trump has approved a new sanctions bill that could impose steep tariffs up to 500 percent on countries importing Russian petroleum products, a move that may significantly impact India and China.

The Times of India reported that the proposed legislation, titled the Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025, targets countries that “knowingly engage” in trade involving Russian-origin oil and uranium. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said the bipartisan bill is aimed at punishing nations that continue to buy “cheap Russian oil”, which Washington argues is financing Moscow’s war in Ukraine.

Under the bill, the US President would be required to sharply raise import duties on goods and services from such countries if Russia or its proxies refuse to negotiate a peace deal with Ukraine. The sanctions could also be reimposed if any future peace agreement is violated or if fresh aggression against Ukraine is initiated.

In a post on X, Graham said Trump had “greenlit” the bill after a meeting, adding: “This bill will allow President Trump to punish those countries who buy cheap Russian oil fueling Putin’s war machine.” He said it would give the US “tremendous leverage against countries like China, India and Brazil”. The development comes amid existing trade tensions between New Delhi and Washington. Graham earlier said India had sought relief from additional US tariffs imposed in August 2025 over its energy trade with Russia. Speaking alongside Trump, the senator recalled the Indian ambassador urging a rollback, saying the focus was on how India was reducing its purchases of Russian oil. Trump has acknowledged the strain the tariffs have placed on ties with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “He’s not that happy with me because… they’re paying a lot of tariffs now,” Trump said, while noting that India has “reduced it very substantially” in terms of oil imports from Russia, reports TOI.