US President Donald Trump has purportedly backed a Bill that threatens to raise tariffs on countries buying energy products, including oil, from Russia, to at least 500 per cent. If approved, the Bill will add pressure on countries like India, China and Brazil which continue to purchase Russian oil despite US sanctions.
According to US Senator Lindsey Graham, among Trump’s closest congressional allies in the Senate, the US President has approved a bipartisan Bill titled the ‘Sanctioning of Russia Act 2025’. Although the Bill has not yet been passed, Graham said it could be brought up for a bipartisan vote as early as next week.
In a post on X, Graham said he met Trump at the White House earlier on Wednesday, where the President gave his approval to the Bill that he had been working on for months with Senator Blumenthal and many others
“This Bill will allow President Trump to punish those countries who buy cheap Russian oil fuelling Putin’s war machine,” Graham said, adding that it would give Trump “tremendous leverage” over India, China and Brazil.