Washington, D.C., January 8: US Senator Lindsey Graham on Wednesday said President Donald Trump has given the green light to a bipartisan Russia sanctions bill aimed at pressuring countries such as India, China, and Brazil to stop purchasing Russian oil, which he said is helping finance Moscow’s war effort in Ukraine.
In a post on X, Graham said the move comes amid ongoing peace negotiations related to the Ukraine conflict and indicated that the legislation could be brought up for a bipartisan vote as early as next week. He said the bill would give President Trump significant leverage to penalize countries buying discounted Russian oil and encourage them to halt such purchases.
Graham said the proposed legislation would allow the US President to impose punitive measures on countries “fueling Putin’s war machine,” adding that Ukraine is making concessions toward peace while Russia continues military operations. He described the bill as a tool to exert pressure on nations whose purchases of Russian oil provide financial support to Moscow.
According to the official website of the US Congress, the proposed legislation, titled the “Sanctioning of Russia Act 2025,” seeks to impose multiple provisions, including penalties on individuals and entities. These measures include increasing the rate of duty on all goods and services imported from Russia into the United States to at least 500 percent of their value.
On January 7, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met members of the US delegation, including Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, during which both sides discussed diplomatic approaches to ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Earlier, President Trump claimed that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was unhappy over high tariffs imposed on India due to its purchases of Russian oil. Speaking at the House GOP Member Retreat, Trump said that while bilateral relations remain cordial, the tariff issue had caused some tension.
“I have a very good relationship with PM Modi, but he is not happy with me as India is paying high tariffs. But now they have reduced it very substantially, buying oil from Russia,” Trump said.
The tariffs, totaling 50 percent, were imposed over India’s significant imports of Russian oil, which the US views as supporting Russia’s economy amid the Ukraine conflict. Trump’s remarks came a day after he warned that Washington could further raise tariffs on Indian goods if New Delhi does not address US concerns over Russian oil imports.
“They wanted to make me happy, basically. Modi is a very good man; he is a good guy. He knew I was not happy, and it was important to make me happy,” Trump said.
India has previously rejected Trump’s assertion that Prime Minister Modi had assured him New Delhi would stop purchasing Russian oil, clarifying that no such conversation or assurance had taken place.
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