US Senate Passes New Russia Sanctions Bill

Dragon Media News Desk

The United States Senate has passed a sanctions bill that would authorize the president to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on goods imported from countries that purchase large volumes of Russian oil and natural gas.

The Senate approved the bill on Friday by a vote of 86 to 11, with support from lawmakers from both the Republican and Democratic parties.

The legislation would allow the president to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on imports from the five largest purchasers of Russian crude oil or natural gas, as well as from countries considered to play a significant role in circumventing sanctions imposed on Russia’s energy sector.

China, India, Slovakia, Hungary and Azerbaijan are currently among the major buyers of Russian crude oil, while China, France, Japan, Hungary and Belgium are among the leading purchasers of Russian natural gas.

However, passage of the bill by the Senate does not mean that a 100 percent tariff will be imposed immediately on these countries. The legislation would grant the president authority to apply such tariffs under specified circumstances and would also allow exemptions based on US national interests.

The bill will now move to the House of Representatives. If approved there, it will be sent to the president for signature. It would become law only after receiving presidential approval.

Supporters of the legislation say its primary objective is to increase economic pressure on Moscow by reducing revenues from Russian oil and gas exports.

An earlier version of the proposal had included tariffs of up to 500 percent on imports from countries purchasing Russian energy. The measure was later revised to allow tariffs of up to 100 percent on major buyers.

The bill also includes a provision authorizing the president to impose tariffs of up to 500 percent on goods imported directly from Russia.

It further proposes additional sanctions targeting Russia’s energy sector, financial institutions, defense-related entities and networks of oil tankers accused of helping circumvent existing restrictions.

India has emerged in recent years as one of the largest buyers of Russian crude oil.

Available trade data show that India imported an average of 2.61 million barrels of Russian crude oil per day in June 2026, accounting for 52.4 percent of its total crude oil imports.

India’s imports of Russian crude rose by around 39 percent in June compared with May.

New Delhi has maintained that its energy purchases are determined by national requirements, market prices, supply stability and energy security.

The legislation also provides for possible exemptions for countries that purchase less than 15 percent of Russia’s total natural gas exports and are taking steps to gradually reduce their dependence on Russian gas.

The bill additionally proposes extending existing US sanctions authorities related to Iran until 2031.

If the legislation also passes the House of Representatives and becomes law, it could have significant implications not only for Russia’s energy trade but also for US commercial relations with major economies including China and India.