The US House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a sweeping Russia sanctions bill that hands President Donald Trump the power to impose tariffs of up to 100% on countries buying Russian oil and gas — a provision that squarely targets India, among the largest importers of Russian crude.
The "Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026" passed 262-159 and now goes to Trump, who is expected to sign it into law, Reuters reported.
The Senate had already approved the bill by an overwhelming 86-11 vote on August 7, though House passage was delayed by disagreements over its tariff provisions.
The legislation directs the president to impose tariffs of up to 100% on the five largest importers of Russian oil or natural gas.
It carves out an exception for countries that import less than 15% of Russia's natural gas exports and have taken significant steps to cut those purchases. India and China are both named by supporters as principal targets of the measure, which is designed to use access to the US market as leverage against continued Russian energy purchases.
The bill also expands sanctions against Russian officials and financial institutions, targets vessels in Russia's so-called shadow fleet, and extends existing Iran sanctions by five years. It is named after the late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, its chief architect.
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Trump had previously been critical of further US support for Ukraine, but backed the bill after it incorporated his push for extended Iran sanctions.
"These countries have a choice to make about whether they will continue to sustain Putin's aggression," said Republican Representative Michael McCaul of Texas.
Democrats were divided over the bill. Representative Gregory Meeks of New York warned that "this president has always said he loves tariffs," while other Democrats said blocking the measure risked undermining support for Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had urged lawmakers to approve the package, saying in a social media post that "during the war, it is sometimes better to make a not-so-perfect decision than to do nothing."
The bill does not itself impose tariffs on Indian goods; it grants Trump discretionary authority to do so. If enacted and exercised, it could open a fresh route for Washington to raise duties on Indian exports over New Delhi's continued purchases of Russian energy.
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