US Bill Sanctioning Russia Could Adversely Impact India - Tempo.co English

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - India-U.S. ties could come under pressure as U.S. lawmakers consider a Russia sanctions bill that would allow President Donald Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on countries buying Russian oil and gas. India, a major consumer of Russian energy, could be affected by the measure.

The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 cleared a key procedural hurdle in the House of Representatives on Tuesday in a 214-211 vote, media reports said. The House is expected to hold a final vote on Wednesday, according to DW.

The bill, imposing sanctions on Russia's leadership, energy and defense sectors and "shadow fleet" accused of helping Moscow evade oil sanctions, was passed by the Senate last month.

If approved by the House, the bill would go to Trump to be signed into law.

The proposed tariffs seek to increase economic pressure on Moscow by targeting countries that continue buying Russian energy.

While India and Russia ties have grown stronger since the start of the war in Ukraine, driven largely by Russian oil exports, the same cannot be said of India-U.S. relations under Prime Minister Narendra Modi as tensions mounted over New Delhi's purchases of Russian oil.

Last August, Trump imposed an additional 25 percent tariff on Indian imports over those purchases, on top of a 25 percent reciprocal tariff.

However, the additional Russia-related tariff was removed in February 2026, while the reciprocal tariff was reduced to 18 percent as part of a U.S.-India trade framework.

However, the landmark bilateral trade agreement between the two countries remains in limbo, with no significant breakthrough.