By Micah Jonah
January 8, 2026
United States President, Donald Trump has thrown his weight behind a proposed bill that would sanction countries purchasing Russian oil, including China and India, according to senior Republican Senator, Lindsey Graham.
Graham, who represents South Carolina, said Trump had “greenlit” the bipartisan legislation after what he described as a very productive meeting.
The bill, formally titled the Sanctioning Russia Act and co sponsored by Democratic Senator, Richard Blumenthal, would grant the U.S. President sweeping powers to impose punitive tariffs of up to 500 percent on imports from countries that continue to do business with Russia’s energy sector.
“This bill will allow President Trump punish those countries who buy cheap Russian oil fueling Putin’s war machine,” Graham said in a statement, referring to Russian President, Vladimir Putin.
He added that the proposed law would give Trump “tremendous leverage” over countries such as China, India and Brazil, pressuring them to halt purchases of discounted Russian oil that he said helps finance Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
Despite wide ranging U.S. and European sanctions imposed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, China and India have remained major buyers of Russian crude. According to analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, China purchased nearly half of Russia’s crude oil exports in November, while India accounted for about 38 percent. Brazil, which sharply increased imports of subsidised Russian oil after the 2022 invasion, has reduced its purchases in recent months.
The renewed push to tighten the economic screws on Moscow comes as Russia and Ukraine are engaged in negotiations brokered by Washington aimed at ending the nearly four year long conflict.
Earlier this week, the Trump administration publicly backed European proposals for binding security guarantees for Ukraine. These include post war truce monitoring and the deployment of a European led multinational force to help maintain stability.
Russia, however, has repeatedly rejected the idea of NATO member states deploying troops on Ukrainian soil and has yet to signal any support for such security arrangements.
Graham said the timing of the bill was deliberate, arguing that Ukraine was making concessions in pursuit of peace while Russia continued its military campaign.
“This will be well timed, as Ukraine is making concessions for peace and Putin is all talk, continuing to kill the innocent,” he said.
If passed, the legislation would mark one of the most aggressive attempts yet by Washington to curb Russia’s energy revenues by targeting not just Moscow, but also the countries that continue to buy its oil.
