U.S. Congress advances bill expanding sanctions to target Russian energy buyers

A new bipartisan bill in the United States seeks to grant the president sweeping powers to impose tariffs and sanctions on countries buying Russian oil, escalating the geopolitical and economic stakes amid tensions with India and other major importers.

The United States Congress has advanced a sweeping bill that would give the president far-reaching new powers to punish Russia and countries that continue to buy its energy, sharply raising the stakes in an already tense ...

According to reporting from The Times of India in Washington, the measure known as the Sanctioning Russia Act , promoted by Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal , would authorise primary and secondary sanctions and allow punitive tariffs of up to 500% on countries that import Russian oil, gas, petroleum products or uranium. The bill is being driven as bipartisan legislation intended to cut off revenue that, lawmakers say, fuels Russia’s war in Ukraine. Industry observers note the proposal would represent an extraordinary expansion of presidential authority beyond current executive powers.

Senator Lindsey Graham posted on X: “This bill will allow President Trump to punish countries who buy cheap Russian oil fuelling Putin’s war machine… give him tremendous leverage against… China, India and Brazil to incentivise them to stop buying the oil that provides finance for Putin’s bloodbath against Ukraine,” after a meeting where he said President Trump had green‑lit passage of the legislation.

According to AP, Graham and Blumenthal have briefed European allies and Ukrainian officials on the measure, arguing a dramatic tariff would force Russia to the negotiating table by targeting roughly 70% of its energy trade that flows to major buyers. A summary on Wikipedia similarly describes the bill (S.1241) as seeking expanded restrictions on Russian sovereign debt and financial transactions in addition to the tariff provisions.

The proposal comes amid an ongoing tariff dispute between Washington and New Delhi. The lead report noted a Supreme Court case on tariff authority is expected this month and suggested Congress and the White House are attempting to pre‑empt a judicial ruling likely to limit executive tariff powers. Legal scholars say vesting such expansive authority in statute could itself prompt fresh constitutional challenges and trade disputes at the World Trade Organization.

The potential economic fallout for affected countries is already being felt. Government and media accounts show Washington has previously used tariffs and executive orders as leverage: AP reported in August 2025 that President Trump signed an executive order imposing an additional 25% tariff on Indian imports tied to its continued purchases of Russian oil, a move New Delhi criticised as unfair and likely to hit its export sector. European capitals have also pursued parallel punitive measures; AP reported the European Union later adopted additional sanctions targeting major Russian oil firms and other financial instruments.

Indian officials and other trading partners have contested Washington’s framing, arguing their energy policies are driven by national energy security and commercial considerations. Speaking through official channels, New Delhi has warned that punitive U.S. measures could harm global supply chains and consumer prices, and has noted that China imports larger volumes of Russian oil than India.

If enacted, the Sanctioning Russia Act would mark a significant escalation in the use of trade policy as a tool of wartime diplomacy, combining steep tariffs with sanctions that could reach beyond Russia to third‑party purchasers. Congressional backers call it necessary to choke off financing for the Kremlin; critics warn it risks major geopolitical and economic fallout, legal challenges and retaliation that could unsettle global markets and alliances.

Source: Noah Wire Services