US Senate clears Russia sanctions bill: India among top countries facing 100% tariffs
Apart from the sanctions on countries purchasing Russian oil and energy products, the legislation also calls for sanctions against Iran to limit its ability to sustain its wartime economy.
US Senate on Tuesday cleared the Russia sanctions bill, which calls for up to 100% tariffs on the top five buyers of Russian oil and energy products.
India is among the five countries that are set to be directly affected by the bipartisan bill, authored by late Senator Lindsey Graham.
Apart from the sanctions on countries purchasing Russian oil and energy products, the legislation also calls for sanctions against Iran to limit its ability to sustain its wartime economy, according to The New York Times.
“We are proud to announce an agreement on legislation to stop purchasers of Russian oil and gas from fueling Putin’s war machine and to continue restricting the Iranian regime’s ability to support terrorism and build its nuclear program,” a joint statement of Republican and Democrat senators said.
“There is no greater way to honor Senator Graham’s legacy than to move forward with this bipartisan agreement, and we look forward to today’s vote,” it added.
The long-stalled bill was cleared on the day of Graham’s funeral in Washington, which was attended by President Trump and his guests, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky. The US Senator died on July 11 following a brief and sudden illness.
Zelensky, who is on a trip to Washington, was present at the Senate gallery to watch the vote.
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World · US · Russia sanctions
The US Russia sanctions bill — and why India is in the crosshairs
The Senate has advanced a bill letting the US hit the biggest buyers of Russian oil with tariffs of up to 100%. India is near the top of that list.
.Developing · passed a procedural vote
The five biggest buyers of Russian crude
1
China
2
India— the India angle
3
Slovakia
4
Hungary
5
Azerbaijan
The bill targets the top five buyers of Russian crude oil (a separate top-five list applies to natural gas). The list is re-evaluated every 180 days, so it can change. Per CBS News; ranking as reported.
The bill at a glance
%
Lets the president impose tariffs of up to 100% on goods from the biggest buyers of Russian oil and gas.
⛵
Also targets Russia's “shadow fleet” of ageing tankers used to dodge sanctions.
⚑
Sanctions Russian officials, oligarchs and banks — and renews sanctions on Iran, added at Trump's request.
✓
Cleared a Senate procedural vote, 86–12; still needs final Senate and House approval.
★
Backed by President Trump, who wanted the Iran measures included.
Formally the “Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026.” Sources: US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Axios, CBS.
Why India is in the frame
Rank among Russian-crude buyers2nd largest
Share of Russia's crude exports (Dec 2022–Apr 2026)~37%
Russia's share of India's oil-import bill (Apr 2026)~38%
Russian crude bought, Mar–May 2026~€14–15 bn
What it means: India buys Russian crude at a discount to keep fuel costs down. A US tariff of up to 100% would force a hard choice between that cheap oil and access to the US market — the bill's central pressure point.
Figures per CREA monthly analyses and Indian commerce-ministry data. Euro figures as reported by CREA; months are individual totals summed across March–May.
What changed since the first version
Earlier
Jan 2026 version
Now
Current bill
Tariff level
Up to 500% tariffs
Up to 100% tariffs
Presidential control
Less flexibility to waive
More discretion to exempt, with justification to Congress
Reach
Broader, blunter impact
Carve-outs so European allies aren't targeted on gas
The earlier 500% figure comes from the January 2026 version of the bill; the current text caps tariffs at 100%. Per reporting on both drafts.
How it got here
.
2025
Introduced by Sen. Lindsey Graham and Sen. Richard Blumenthal.
.
For months
Held up by White House concerns, despite wide bipartisan support.
.
July 11, 2026
Graham dies suddenly, shortly after agreeing with Trump to move the bill forward. His sister Darline, appointed to his seat, becomes a lead sponsor.
.
July 28, 2026
The Senate clears a procedural vote, 86–12, hours after Graham's funeral in Washington, which Ukraine's President Zelensky attended.
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Next
Moves toward final Senate passage, then the House — timing and final text still uncertain.
Renamed in Graham's honour. Sources: Reuters, Axios, Washington Times, The Spokesman-Review.
Sources: US Senate Foreign Relations Committee · Reuters · Axios · CBS News · CREA. A developing story; the bill is not yet law.
What is the proposed law and how India is at risk?
The US Senate voted 86 to 12 to approve the first in a series of procedural motions on the bill, which is aimed at squeezing Russia’s revenue from oil and gas exports.
President Trump has indicated his support for the legislation, which is expected to hurt India and China among countries. India is one of the top buyers of Russian energy products, despite clamping down on its dependence on Moscow.
An analysis by The Indian Express showed that India paid nearly $15 billion for imports in March, April and May for oil purchases.
In the previous three months — December 2025 to February 2026 — imports worth Rs 42,506 crore were settled in rupees, equal to 2.4% of total inbound shipments.
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This comes after the US announced a sanctions waiver on purchase of Russian oil in view of the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. US announced the sanctions waiver in March and it was extended till mid-June.
The Russia sanctions bill has been a long-sought legislation called by Graham, and pro-Ukraine lawmakers, who had earlier called for 500% tariffs on buyers of Russian energy products.
However, the new version of the bill proposes tariffs of up to 100% and tweaked the powers with the President to impose sanctions. The updated bill also exempts US allies that still purchase Russian oil products, but “demonstrably reduce their reliance on Russian-produced energy”, according to The Times.
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