US Senate advances Russia sanctions bill, putting India at risk of 100% tariffs

The US Senate has advanced a sweeping Russia sanctions bill that could expose India and four other countries to tariffs of up to 100% over their continued purchases of Russian energy.

The legislation, authored by the late Senator Lindsey Graham, cleared a key procedural vote on Tuesday by 86-12 as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Capitol Hill. The bill seeks to intensify economic pressure on Moscow over its war in Ukraine by sanctioning Russian officials and authorising steep tariffs on India, China, Slovakia, Hungary and Azerbaijan to curb their reliance on Russian oil and gas.

Introduced in April 2025, the measure was later endorsed by President Donald Trump amid growing trade tensions with India.

The proposed sanctions come as India’s dependence on Russian crude has increased following the conflict in West Asia, which disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. With Gulf oil supplies severely affected by the Iran-US conflict, Indian refiners have increasingly turned to discounted Russian crude to meet domestic demand.

Earlier, Senator Richard Blumenthal said the legislation could exempt countries buying Russian gas if their purchases account for less than 15% of Russia’s total gas exports.

Impact on India

The US first targeted India’s Russian energy trade in August 2025, when President Trump imposed an additional 25% tariff, accusing New Delhi of “fueling Putin’s war.” That raised total US tariffs on Indian goods to 50%, matching the highest rates imposed on China and Brazil, and stalled bilateral trade negotiations.

Following the outbreak of the US-Iran conflict in February 2026 and the resulting global energy crunch, Washington temporarily waived restrictions on Russian oil purchases, allowing India to resume imports. US officials argued that the arrangement would not significantly boost Russian profits.

During the waiver period, India’s imports of Russian crude surged 34% in June 2026 to a record high. According to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, the purchases were worth €4.5 billion and accounted for about 36% of Russia’s crude oil export revenues.