[ Devansh Desai Mumbai Samachar ]
The US Senate on Tuesday cleared a procedural hurdle for a sweeping Russia sanctions bill that proposes tariffs of up to 100 per cent on the top five buyers of Russian oil and energy products, with India named among the countries directly in the firing line.
The bipartisan legislation, authored by the late Senator Lindsey Graham, was approved in an 86-12 vote as the Senate moved forward with the first in a series of procedural steps needed for final passage.
Beyond the tariff provisions targeting energy purchasers, the bill also proposes fresh sanctions on Iran aimed at curbing 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 from 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,” the statement added.
The long-pending legislation cleared the chamber on the same day as Graham’s funeral in Washington, an event attended by President Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Graham, the US Senator, died on July 11 following a brief and sudden illness. Zelensky, who is currently on a visit to Washington, was present in the Senate gallery to witness the vote.
How The Bill Could Affect India
The Senate’s 86-12 vote marked approval of the first in a series of procedural motions on the bill, which is designed to squeeze Russia’s revenue from oil and gas exports. President Trump has signalled his support for the legislation, which is expected to affect India and China among the nations concerned. India remains one of the largest buyers of Russian energy products, even as it has sought to reduce its dependence on Moscow.
An analysis by The Indian Express found that India paid close to $15 billion for oil imports across March, April and May. In the preceding three months December 2025 to February 2026 imports worth Rs 42,506 crore were settled in rupees, accounting for 2.4 per cent of total inbound shipments.
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The development follows the United States’ earlier decision to grant a sanctions waiver on Russian oil purchases in light of the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. That waiver was announced in March and later extended until mid-June.
The Russia sanctions bill has long been championed by Graham and other pro-Ukraine lawmakers, who had earlier pushed for tariffs as steep as 500 per cent on buyers of Russian energy products. The revised version of the bill, however, caps tariffs at up to 100 per cent and modifies the powers granted to the President to impose such sanctions. The updated legislation also carves out an exemption for US allies that continue to purchase Russian oil products but “demonstrably reduce their reliance on Russian-produced energy,” according to The Times.
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