US Senator Richard Blumenthal described India and China as the “main culprits” as a bipartisan group of senators agreed to fast-track legislation that would allow the US to imposeof up to 100% on countries purchasing large volumes of Russian oil.
“The bill authorises … it’s carefully crafted to ensure we are not hitting our allies. We are hitting China, India … let’s be really blunt. They are the main culprits. They purchase the vast majority of oil and gas and are fueling Russia’s war machine,” Blumenthal said.
He also claimed that India’s imports of Russian crude had fallen by half after President Donald Trump announced a 25% tariff on Indian goods. “Tariffs and sanctions have consequences … Trump is signing this bill with the expectations that he will use them,” he added.
Earlier in the day, the US Senate voted 86-12 in a procedural vote to advance the legislation. First introduced in April 2025 by the late Senator Lindsey Graham, the bill proposes sanctions against Russian officials, oligarchs, financial institutions and the so-called shadow fleet used to bypass restrictions on Russian oil exports.
The legislation would also empower Trump to levy tariffs of up to 100% on imports from countries that continue buying substantial quantities of Russian oil and gas. Nations that could be affected include India, China, Slovakia, Hungary and Azerbaijan.
Bill expanded to include restrictions linked to Iran
The scope of the legislation has also been widened to include measures aimed at limiting financial support for Iran’s energy and defence sectors.
“We are proud to announce an agreement on legislation to stop purchasers of Russian oil and gas from fueling Putin’s war machine and to continue restricting the Iranian regime’s ability to support terrorism and build its nuclear programme,” a bipartisan group of senators said in a joint statement.
The proposal must still clear further procedural stages and receive final Senate approval before being sent to the House of Representatives, which is expected to take it up after lawmakers return from their summer recess in September.
India defends Russian oil imports
India remains particularly vulnerable to the proposed measures as it is the world’s second-largest importer of Russian crude after China. Its dependence on has grown following disruptions to oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz during the West Asia conflict, prompting refiners to increase purchases from Russia.
New Delhi has consistently defended its energy imports from Russia, arguing that they are driven by economic and energy security considerations.
During a visit to Finland last month, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the US had previously acknowledged India’s role in helping stabilise global energy markets after sanctions disrupted Russian supplies.
“At that time, the US directly asked India to buy Russian oil to stabilise the oil market. We buy oil based on cost and availability,” Jaishankar said.
He also criticised what he described as inconsistencies in Western sanctions policy and warned against applying selective standards to issues involving trade, energy security and geopolitics.
Last month, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said India had never been instructed to stop buying Russian oil, adding that restrictions applied only to transactions involving entities already under sanctions.
(With inputs from agencies)
