In a strong bipartisan vote, the US Senate has advanced a bill to impose sweeping new sanctions on Russia, including authorizing 100% tariffs on goods from China and India if they continue buying Russian energy.
The bill cleared a key procedural vote by 86-12, marking Congress’s strongest effort yet to increase economic pressure on Moscow over the Ukraine war.
In addition to expanding sanctions on Russia, the legislation also broadens restrictions targeting Iran’s financial and weapons sectors.
Backed by both Republicans and Democrats and supported by President Trump, the proposed legislation would authorize the president to impose tariffs of up to 100% on imports from the world’s five largest buyers of Russian oil and natural gas.
BREAKING: India and China will be explicitly targeted by upto 100% tariffs through new bill, says US Senator
“I want to be blunt. India and China are the main culprits since they purchase the vast majority of Russian oil and gas. They are fuelling Putin’s war machine.” pic.twitter.com/4BIhTp8wMc
— Shashank Mattoo (@MattooShashank) July 29, 2026
Although the measure is aimed primarily at major oil importers such as India and China, it gives the president broad discretion over whether to impose the tariffs and at what rate.
The bill also proposes new sanctions on Russian government officials, oligarchs, financial institutions, and the so-called “shadow fleet” of vessels used to evade restrictions on Moscow’s oil exports.
The Senate vote came shortly after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed senators during a visit to Capitol Hill to pay tribute to the late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a staunch supporter of Ukraine and a co-author of the legislation, who died earlier this month.
Defending the bill, Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, another co-author, said the legislation is designed to target countries financing Russia’s war through continued energy purchases.
“To be really blunt, China and India are the main culprits here,” Blumenthal told reporters.
“They purchase the vast majority of oil and gas. They are fueling Russia’s war machine, and they are doing us no favors anywhere else in the world.”
Zelensky happily thanks US for bill that could impose 100% tariffs on India and China for buying Russian oil and gas https://t.co/a7LeG1RXvK pic.twitter.com/iBW6A5sQju
— Sputnik India (@Sputnik_India) July 29, 2026
Republican Senator Roger Wicker, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the proposed sanctions are intended to strike at Russia’s principal source of economic strength. Lawmakers from both parties described the legislation as an effort to curb Moscow’s ability to finance the war while maintaining pressure on Iran.
Despite overwhelming bipartisan support, some senators voiced concern over the broad authority the legislation would grant the president to impose tariffs.
Democratic Senator Peter Welch, who voted against advancing the bill, argued that it lacks sufficient safeguards to limit presidential discretion over tariff decisions.
The legislation must still pass a final Senate vote before moving to the House of Representatives. It would then require President Trump’s signature to become law.
If enacted, the measure would represent one of the most far-reaching US sanctions packages against Russia since the outbreak of the Ukraine war.
The measure could also expose major importers of Russian energy, particularly India and China, to unprecedented new U.S. tariffs.
Muhammad Luqman is Associate Editor at Views News Now. He writes on wide-ranging issues including economy, South Asia, the Middle East, agriculture, economy and innovation. Luqman has worked some of the leading news organizations and won acclaim for his original and research-based works.
