Overview
- Senator Lindsey Graham said President Trump has approved advancing the bill, with a congressional vote possible as early as next week.
- Sponsors frame the measure as leverage over major buyers such as India, China and Brazil to curtail purchases that generate revenue for Russia’s war effort in Ukraine.
- Beyond tariffs, the bill authorizes visa bans, asset freezes targeting key Russian individuals, blocks on Russian-owned banks and a ban on U.S. energy exports to Russia.
- India is already facing roughly 50% U.S. tariffs on certain goods from earlier actions tied to its Russian oil purchases, and it has denied assurances that it would stop buying Russian crude.
- Despite broad bipartisan backing reported by sponsors, passage and how the administration would apply the authorities remain uncertain and could escalate trade and diplomatic frictions.