At a signing ceremony for executive orders related to birthright citizenship and the polysilicon industry at the White House Oval Office, US President Donald Trump was present. (Photo: Reuters, 6 August 2026)
The US Senate has approved a bill that gives US President Donald Trump the authority to impose tariffs of up to 100% on the world’s top five countries that buy oil or natural gas from Russia.
This American move creates the risk of major tariffs being imposed on India, China and other major buyers of Russian oil and gas.
The bill has been named in memory of Lindsay Graham, a staunch supporter of Ukraine and Republican senator who died on 11 July. It passed the Senate by a vote of 86–11.
Lindsay Graham had been strongly lobbying for new sanctions against Russia ever since the Ukraine war began. The Russia–Ukraine war has now entered its fifth year.
Darlene Graham, who succeeded Lindsay Graham in the Senate, said the bill “will hit Russian President Vladimir Putin right where it hurts.”
Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal had been pushing for the bill’s passage for more than a year alongside Graham. He said the people of Ukraine “are not alone.”
After the vote, the senator said: “Today President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is watching this from Ukraine and Putin from Moscow. I like to think Lindsay Graham is also watching from above.”
Clarifying his remarks further, Blumenthal said: “Today we are telling the people of Ukraine, you are not alone. And we are telling Vladimir Putin, you will not be able to conquer Ukraine.”
The bill will now go to the US House of Representatives for approval. Discussion on it is expected to begin when the House reconvenes on 31 August.
What the Russia sanctions bill contains
The bipartisan bill gives President Trump the power to impose 100% tariffs on the world’s top five countries that purchase Russian oil or gas. India and China are on this list.
Alongside India and China, the current top five importers of Russian oil and gas also include Azerbaijan, Hungary and Slovakia.
The bill also includes provisions for sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin, the country’s senior political and military leaders, as well as financial institutions and energy projects.
However, countries that import less than 15% of their total natural gas from Russia and are taking steps to reduce that import are eligible for exemptions under the bill.
The bill also provides scope to bring under US sanctions the old oil tankers that Moscow has been using by changing their flags. Russia uses these ships to try to evade existing US sanctions on revenue earned from oil and energy.
The White House has also been given the power to lift sanctions or restrictions if required in the national interest. In such cases, the president must certify to Congress that the step is necessary in the national interest.
In addition to sanctions against Russia, the bill also extends the 1996 Iran Sanctions Act until 2031. The United States takes punitive measures under this law against companies investing in Iran’s energy sector.

Source: NDTV, New Delhi

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