Washington DC: US Senator Richard Blumenthal on Thursday issued a stern warning to India and China for buying Russian oil and gas. Blumenthal's warning came
after the US House of Representatives cleared a bill giving power to President Donald Trump to impose tariffs up to 100 per cent on countries purchasing Russian energy. “To China and India: You better clean up your act. Buy your oil and gas somewhere else. Appeasement is not a strategy,” Blumenthal said. On Wednesday (local time), the US House of Representatives passed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 by 262 votes to 159. The bill is now headed to Trump for his approval. The legislation targets Russian officials, banks, and a "shadow fleet" of tankers accused of helping keep Russian energy exports moving. It also extends existing sanctions on Iran for five years. The bill would give the Trump administration authority to impose tariffs of up to 100% on the five largest importers of Russian oil or natural gas. The provision is intended in part to deter major buyers such as China and India from continuing to purchase Russian energy. A House amendment introduced by Democratic Congressman Steny Hoyer separately names 10 countries that could face the proposed 100% duties: apart from India and China, the other eight countries are Turkey, Azerbaijan, Hungary, the Slovak Republic, the UAE, Singapore, Kazakhstan, and the Kyrgyz Republic. The Senate version, passed in August, did not name individual countries. Instead, it referred to the "five largest importers of oil and gas by volume". The sanctions package is aimed at restricting the financial resources available to Russian President Vladimir Putin's government as it continues its war in Ukraine. The legislation also allows tariffs against the countries doing the most to help Russia evade existing sanctions, with the US Trade Representative responsible for determining the specific tariff rate.
