Washington, D.C. [U.S.], July 15 (ANI): A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has unveiled a long-awaited bill imposing sweeping sanctions on Russia, naming India among five countries that could face tariffs for continuing to buy Russian oil.
The legislation, dubbed by some lawmakers the “Lindsey Graham Russia Accountability Bill,” was formally introduced on Capitol Hill on Tuesday by Senators Richard Blumenthal and Jeanne Shaheen, along with Republicans Roger Wicker, Katie Britt, and more than a dozen other lawmakers from both parties.
The announcement comes shortly after the death of Senator Lindsey Graham, who spent nearly two years negotiating the measure and was repeatedly credited by colleagues as its driving force.
Senator Blumenthal, the lead Democratic sponsor, said the bill goes beyond tariffs by imposing full blocking sanctions on large portions of Russia’s economy, including its energy and financial sectors, defense industry, oligarchs, business leaders, and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Separately, the bill authorizes the administration to impose tariffs, at a rate above zero but capped below full value, on countries identified as the largest buyers of Russian oil. Blumenthal named five countries: China, India, Slovakia, Hungary, and Azerbaijan.
A related provision targets buyers of Russian natural gas but exempts countries importing less than 15% of their natural gas from Russia if they are already reducing purchases, a carveout that shields most European allies.
Senators said the tariff rate has not yet been determined and will be set by the U.S. Trade Representative rather than specified in the legislation.
Blumenthal said he expects the rate will be high enough “to discourage China, India, and other major purchasers of Russian oil and gas strongly,” but declined to provide a specific figure.
The bill also includes waiver authority and requires reporting to Congress if tariffs are reduced in the future.
Senator James Risch, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he pushed for a separate provision targeting Russia’s “shadow fleet” of tankers used to evade existing sanctions and continue exporting oil.
Lawmakers said the bill has been significantly narrowed from earlier versions, which reportedly could have imposed tariffs on as many as 63 countries.
Blumenthal said the current draft focuses on a “very discreet number” of five oil-buying and five natural gas-buying countries, with some overlap. He said the revisions reflected input from the Trump administration, which he said has endorsed the bill in writing.
Senators expressed hope that the revised version would gain broader support in the House after some Democrats criticized earlier versions of the legislation.
The announcement carried an emotional tone, with several senators paying tribute to Graham.
Senator Wicker, who served alongside Graham for more than three decades, called the legislation “Lindsey Graham’s greatest achievement.”
Senator Ted Cruz said Graham personally negotiated the bill’s terms with President Donald Trump before his death and urged lawmakers to honor his legacy by passing the measure with overwhelming support.
Senators argued that swift action is needed, citing what they described as Ukrainian battlefield gains and continued Russian strikes on civilian areas.
Several lawmakers said they expect the Senate could act before the end of August and that they have received assurances from the Senate majority leader that a vote will take place once sufficient support has been secured.
Asked about President Trump’s suggestion that sanctions on Iran or Hezbollah could be added to the legislation, Blumenthal said senators would prefer to advance the current bill rather than reopen negotiations, although he did not rule out separate legislation at a later date.
India has so far resisted Western pressure to reduce its purchases of discounted Russian crude, which have risen sharply since 2022 and now account for a significant share of the country’s oil imports.
New Delhi has defended the purchases as essential for energy security and consumer affordability, arguing that they also help stabilize global oil prices.
The bill must still clear procedural hurdles in the Senate and pass the House of Representatives before it can be sent to President Trump’s desk.
Earlier, a White House official told ANI that the Trump administration supports the proposed Russia sanctions bill. Responding to a question from ANI about whether Trump would back the legislation and whether India could face new penalties for buying Russian crude, the official said, “President Trump supports the bill.” (ANI)
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