JNU scholar Raj Yadav called the US sanctions law “coercive geopolitics”.
He said reliable energy supplies remain crucial to India’s economic growth.
The law allows tariffs on countries covered by its Russian energy provisions.
The US law threatening tariffs on major buyers of Russian oil is an escalation of President Donald Trump’s “coercive geopolitics”, Raj Yadav, Assistant Professor at the Centre for Russian and Central Asian Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), told Mint, warning that it puts pressure on India’s energy security at a time when reliable crude supplies are vital to its economy.
Trump signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 on September 18. The law expands sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine and allows the US president to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on goods from countries covered by its Russian energy provisions.
‘Energy Security Is Crucial for India’
Yadav said India’s energy needs must be considered alongside the sanctions imposed on its suppliers.
“Energy security is crucial for India. India has to meet its requirement either from Russia or Iran. India is one of the largest importers of hydrocarbons, hence getting a regular supply of energy is crucial for India’s economic growth,” he told Mint.
India increased its purchases of Russian crude after the Ukraine war, as Western sanctions disrupted Moscow’s traditional export markets. Yadav said sanctions on Iran had earlier pushed India to seek oil elsewhere.
“Russia, being rich in hydrocarbon resources, has seen impressive exports of the same towards India since the Russia-Ukraine war, while Russia has been slapped with almost 13,000 sanctions. India had to move away from Iran for crude oil towards Russia since Iran was sanctioned,” he said.
Yadav also questioned the timing of the US measure. It came days after an India-chaired BRICS Summit reached a consensus despite concerns about differences among member countries, he told Mint.
What the Law Could Mean for India
The legislation is intended to reduce Russia’s energy revenue and targets officials, banks, defence networks and vessels used to move oil around Western restrictions. It also extends existing sanctions against Iran for five years.
Its tariff provisions allow duties of up to 500 per cent on goods imported directly from Russia and up to 100 per cent on goods from countries covered by the Russian oil and gas purchase provisions. Whether Indian exports face additional duties will depend on how the Trump administration uses those powers.
India accounted for around 37 per cent of Russia’s crude exports between December 2022 and August 2026, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. The Global Trade Research Initiative says Russia’s share of India’s crude supplies rose substantially from below 15 per cent before 2022.
GTRI founder Ajay Srivastava described the law as an attempt to pressure New Delhi. “India buys Russian oil to secure affordable energy for 1.4 billion people, not to finance war,” he said, according to the BBC. He warned that tariffs of up to 100 per cent could hurt Indian exporters and American consumers.
India’s Response
India has said its oil purchases will be guided by national interest, including supply and global prices. The External Affairs Ministry said New Delhi remained “firmly committed to ensuring energy security for its 1.4 billion people” through diversified sourcing.
The ministry said it had discussed India’s Russian oil trade with senior US officials and explained the possible effects of the new law on bilateral ties and the international energy market.
