The US Senate on Friday passed a sweeping Russia sanctions package that will allow President Donald Trump to impose 100% tariffs on the world's top five buyers of Russian oil and gas, a list that puts India and China among the countries directly affected.
The bipartisan bill passed 86-11 and caps a year-long campaign by the late Senator Lindsey Graham to reinforce US support for Ukraine and pressure President Vladimir Putin as the war, now longer than World War I, continues. The bill has since been renamed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026.
What does the bill mean for India, China?
The bipartisan package that carries Graham's name allows the president to impose tariffs on the world's top five purchasers of Russian oil or natural gas, including China and India. It provides exceptions for countries that import less than 15% of their natural gas from Russia and are taking steps to reduce those imports.
Also read: US Senate passes sweeping Russia sanctions bill; new tariff threat for India, China ahead
China, India, Azerbaijan, Hungary and Slovakia are currently the top five importers of Russian oil and gas, making them the countries most directly exposed to the new tariff authority.
