Trump Backs Bill Threatening 500% Tariff on India Over Russian Oil Purchases

The Donald Trump–led U.S. administration is preparing to impose sweeping new sanctions on Russia as part of efforts to pressure Moscow while seeking an end to the war in Ukraine, which began in 2022.

The proposed legislation, titled the Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025, would authorize tariffs of up to 500% on countries that “knowingly engage” in trade involving Russian-origin uranium and petroleum products.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said President Trump has now approved the long-pending bill. “After a very productive meeting today with President Trump on a variety of issues, he greenlit the bipartisan Russia sanctions bill,” Graham wrote on X, adding that he hopes for a strong bipartisan vote as early as next week, according to the Associated Press.

Targeting buyers of Russian oil
Graham said the legislation would give Trump the authority to penalize countries purchasing discounted Russian oil, which he said is helping finance President Vladimir Putin’s war effort. He argued the bill would provide “tremendous leverage” over countries such as China, India and Brazil, urging them to stop buying Russian energy supplies.

“This will be well-timed, as Ukraine is making concessions for peace and Putin is all talk, continuing to kill the innocent,” Graham said.

The bill, drafted primarily by Graham and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, would allow the U.S. to impose secondary sanctions and tariffs on countries importing Russian oil, gas, uranium and other key exports, with the aim of choking off funding for Russia’s military campaign.

Balancing sanctions and diplomacy
Ending the Ukraine war has been a key pledge of Trump, who vowed during his campaign to resolve the conflict quickly. His administration is currently pursuing negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow, with special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, playing leading roles.

According to Bloomberg, progress on the sanctions bill had previously stalled as Trump signaled a preference for diplomatic efforts first. The renewed push suggests Washington is now preparing to pair negotiations with significantly tougher economic pressure on Russia and its energy buyers.