U.S. Senate advances Russia sanctions bill that could hit India with 100% tariffs
The U.S. Senate moved a Russia sanctions bill forward on Tuesday with an 86-12 procedural vote, putting India and four other countries at risk of
The U.S. Senate moved a Russia sanctions bill forward on Tuesday with an 86-12 procedural vote, putting India and four other countries at risk of 100% tariffs if the measure becomes law. The vote came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Capitol Hill.
The legislation is aimed at raising economic pressure on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine. It would sanction Russian officials and authorize steep tariffs on India, China, Slovakia, Hungary and Azerbaijan as Washington seeks to push those countries to reduce their dependence on Russian energy. Sharp leverage. Big stakes.
India in the crosshairs
India is already one of the biggest buyers of Russian crude oil, trailing only China. That dependence now places New Delhi directly in the frame of a bill designed to squeeze Russia’s energy revenues while also forcing its customers to reconsider their purchases.
The bill was introduced in April 2025 and has since moved into a more politically charged phase. Earlier this year, Senator Lindsey Graham said it had been greenlit by President Donald Trump, a move that came amid trade tensions between Washington and New Delhi.
For India, the threat is especially sensitive. The country has kept buying Russian oil as global energy markets shifted after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, and U.S. lawmakers are now tying that trade to the broader effort to isolate the Kremlin. The message from Capitol Hill was blunt.
Pressure tied to Ukraine
Zelensky’s visit gave the vote added urgency. The procedural step does not finish the job, but it clears the bill for the next stage in the Senate and keeps sanctions on the table as the war drags on.
The bill’s backers want to hit Moscow where it hurts most: energy. They are also widening the net around countries that continue to buy Russian fuel. That includes India, whose oil ties with Russia have drawn closer scrutiny in Washington over the past two years.
There was little ambiguity in the tally. Senators backed the move overwhelmingly, even as a minority opposed it. The scale of the vote suggests broad support for keeping economic pressure on Russia, though the tariff threat could complicate relations with several countries well beyond Europe.
What happens next will depend on the bill’s path through Congress and any move by the White House. For now, the Senate has made one thing clear: countries that keep leaning on Russian energy may soon face a far steeper price from Washington.
