Over 60 US Senators Support Russia Sanctions Bill On Oil Buyers

More than 60 US senators announced their support for a bipartisan bill that would impose tariffs on countries on Thursday, including India and China, that purchase Russian oil and gas, according to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026, championed by the late Senator Lindsey Graham and formally introduced by Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Darline Graham (R-SC), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn), would direct the President to impose tariffs of up to 100% on the five largest importers of Russian crude oil and gas. The measure also allows the President to waive sanctions if deemed in the US national interest, according to the release.

"This legislation would level tough new sanctions on Russia and choke off key export markets for the energy it sells to fund its war machine," said Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The bill targets Russian officials, oligarchs, their family members, foreign persons, Russian banks and financial institutions, as well as the Russian Shadow Fleet, the release said. It also includes provisions for sanctions on entities that enable Russian sanctions evasion.

Senators Honour Graham's legacy

The legislation is being framed as a tribute to Senator Lindsey Graham, who died suddenly last week. Graham had worked on the bill for over a year and had reached an agreement with US President Donald Trump to advance the legislation shortly before his death.

"Passing this legislation would honour my brother's steadfast commitment to our national security and it would provide US President Trump with additional leverage to bring this war to an end," Senator Darline Graham said.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said, "I'm proud to support this legislation that not only honours our friend and colleague, but will also promote peace by cutting off the funding fuelling Russia's war machine."

India's Energy Imports And US Recalibration

The revised bill significantly softens the original proposal, which had threatened tariffs of up to 500% on all goods imported from countries buying Russian energy. The new version caps tariffs at 100% and applies only to the five largest importers of Russian crude: China, India, Slovakia, Hungary and Azerbaijan, according to a Reuters report cited by Outlook India.

India has emerged as one of Russia's largest energy buyers since the war began, with Russian crude accounting for roughly 36% of India's total crude imports over the past year, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. In June alone, India purchased a record €4.5 billion worth of Russian crude.

The softening of the bill reflects Washington's effort to maintain pressure on Russia without jeopardising strategic ties with India, a key partner in the Quad and a country with which the US is finalising a bilateral trade agreement.

The legislation includes a presidential waiver that converts what was once an automatic penalty into a diplomatic instrument, one that can be deployed alongside trade negotiations and security cooperation rather than against them.