Washington DC: US President Donald Trump is expected to sign into law the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 later on Friday, a White House official confirmed to ANI without disclosing further details.

The measure, which cleared the Senate last month, secured final congressional approval after passing the House of Representatives by 262 votes to 159.

The legislation grants Trump executive discretion to levy tariffs of up to 100 per cent on nations that persist in purchasing crude oil and natural gas from Russia, though it does not mandate automatic application of the duties.

The law also targets maritime vessels linked to Russia's "shadow fleet", which US authorities state has been deployed to sustain Russian energy exports in spite of existing Western sanctions.

A central element of the bill authorises the US President to impose duties of up to 100 per cent on the five largest importers of Russian petroleum or natural gas. An exemption is included for countries importing less than 15 per cent of Russian natural gas exports, provided they have taken substantial steps to curtail those purchases.

For India, the framework establishes a statutory mechanism under which Washington could impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on Indian exports due to ongoing purchases of Russian energy. However, the bill does not directly levy a 100 per cent tariff on Indian goods; rather, it empowers the executive branch to implement such rates under specified legal conditions if invoked by Trump.

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India and China remain primary buyers of Russian crude, making their ongoing trade with Moscow a core issue in debates surrounding the legislation.

The US Senate previously passed the bill 86–11 on 7 August, but its progress in the House was delayed by disagreements over tariff provisions and their potential broader impact on American trade policy.

The final legislative package incorporates Trump's requirement for a five-year extension of existing sanctions against Iran, a key condition for securing his endorsement. In July, Trump advocated adding Iran to the measure on Truth Social, posting: "Republicans should add Iran to the Russian Sanctions Bill. That's what Lindsey wanted to do, and it was going to happen. Important!!!"

Proponents contend that the legislation will intensify economic strain on Moscow and compel Russian President Vladimir Putin to negotiate. Republican Congressman Michael McCaul argued that the bill would "cripple Russia's war machine and finally bring Putin to the negotiating table."

Conversely, several lawmakers who voted against the measure expressed concern over granting Trump expansive tariff authority, despite supporting measures to hold Russia accountable.

Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal noted that while she supported Ukraine, she opposed the bill because it "grants President Trump incredibly broad authority to impose tariffs" without proper safeguards. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar also voted against it, arguing it would fail to hold Russia accountable, while Congresswoman April McClain Delaney opposed giving the executive additional tariff powers despite supporting anti-Russia provisions.

The Act represents the most significant American legislative package supporting Ukraine since Trump returned to the White House, breaking a two-year parliamentary deadlock that followed a 2024 emergency aid bill.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the bill's passage, explicitly linking the legislative action to an overnight barrage of Russian missile and drone strikes across eight regions in Ukraine that injured more than 10 civilians, including children.

Writing on X, Zelenskyy called the timing of the Russian assault "symbolic" as the conflict enters its fifth year. "The Lindsey Graham bill, along with other strong sanctions steps by our partners against the source of this war – against Russia – is an extremely powerful tool that can stop this terrorist war and bring Russia to the point where it has to make peace. Sanctions must be strong so that all efforts for peace – including our joint diplomatic efforts with the United States, Europe, and our other friends – can succeed. I thank the members of the House of Representatives, senators, and leaders of the U.S. Congress for supporting this legislation. Russia needs to end this war," Zelenskyy said.

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In contrast, Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed during the BRICS Business Forum in New Delhi that Russia has been subjected to over 30,000 sanctions, more than double the total restrictions placed on all other countries combined, as he denounced Western economic coercion and "ugly" competitive practices.

"Sometimes competition is taking some ugly forms. This ugly form is something we see even at the State level, at the Government level," Putin said, pointing to pipeline destruction, transport corridor blockades, and threats of secondary sanctions. "Against this difficult backdrop, Russia has been working actively, and Russia has managed to achieve great success. We have reinforced our national sovereignty; we are developing ties with reliable, predictable partners," he added.

The US bill comes at a tense period for US-India commercial relations. Washington introduced an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods in August over its Russian oil purchases, raising total duties on certain Indian exports to 50 per cent.

Under Section 113 of the statute, the President is directed, within 30 days of enactment, to increase import duties to a rate of up to 100 per cent ad valorem on covered countries. A covered country is defined as any nation that knowingly makes new purchases of Russian crude or gas 30 days post-enactment, was among the top five importers of Russian energy in the preceding 12 months, or was among the top five nations facilitating Russian sanctions evasion.

Section 113(f) specifies that these tariffs shall apply in addition to any existing duties or taxes. The United States Trade Representative (USTR) is given authority under Section 113(b) to adjust duty rates between zero and 100 per cent if a country takes "significant steps" to reduce or halt Russian energy purchases. Section 113(d) grants an exemption for natural gas if imports fall below the 15 per cent threshold, though no equivalent exception exists for crude oil.

Section 115(a) allows the President to waive any sanctions or duties if a written certification is submitted to Congress confirming that the waiver serves US national interests.

In addition to trade duties, the legislation imposes blocking sanctions and visa revocations on top Russian officials, including the President, Prime Minister, Defence Minister, and military commanders, alongside foreign suppliers providing critical materials like CNC tools, lubricant additives, and fibre optic cables to Russia's defence sector. It further blocks foreign vessels operating in Russia's "shadow fleet" without adequate insurance or those evading price caps, while prohibiting correspondent accounts for the Central Bank of Russia, Sberbank, VTB Bank, and Gazprombank.

Following Trump's endorsement, late American Senator Lindsey Graham stated earlier this year that the bipartisan bill would provide leverage against India, China, and Brazil. In a post on X, Graham wrote: "After a very productive meeting today (local time) with President Trump on a variety of issues, he greenlit the bipartisan Russia sanctions bill that I have been working on for months with Senator Blumenthal and many others... This bill would give President Trump tremendous leverage against countries like China, India and Brazil to incentivise them to stop buying the cheap Russian oil that provides the financing for Putin's bloodbath against Ukraine."

India's Ministry of External Affairs affirmed its determination to protect national trade interests while monitoring developments. "As stated on several earlier occasions, India remains firmly committed to ensuring energy security for its 1.4 billion people. It will continue to do so through diversified sourcing and on the basis of evolving market dynamics," the ministry said in a statement, noting that potential economic risks had been communicated to US officials.

The legislation coincides with legal challenges facing the administration's tariff strategy, following a US Supreme Court ruling in February that invalidated a broader set of tariffs and a federal court decision in May striking down a 10 per cent blanket global tariff.

Bilateral trade discussions between the US and India are expected to continue on the sidelines of the G20 Trade Ministers’ meeting in Wisconsin on 30 September–1 October. Once signed, the Act will grant the administration expanded authority to apply economic pressure on Russia and nations maintaining major energy trade with Moscow.
ANI