US Senate Ignores Europe's Record Gas Shopping from Russia, But Corners India
US sanctions bill targets India over Russian oil while exempting European gas imports, uranium purchases and key US-Russia cooperation.
By Pranjal Gupta
New Delhi, July 17: Sixty US Senators have honoured the late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham by introducing a bill that seeks to impose 100% tariffs on countries purchasing oil from Russia, including India and China. The United States argues that trade with Moscow helps fund its war against Ukraine, which began in 2022 and continues with no clear end in sight. However, the Senators have overlooked continued European imports of Russian natural gas, as well as ongoing US-Russia cooperation in the nuclear and space sectors.
A Finland-based think tank CREA has pointed out that, at times, the European Union's spending on Russian fossil fuels has exceeded the direct financial aid it has provided to Ukraine. Critics argue that this amounts to "arming the victim with one hand and paying the aggressor with the other."
According to the Financial Times, Europe bought a record amount of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia's largest LNG project during the first half of 2026. European countries purchased almost all the gas produced by the Siberian facility, despite the European Union preparing to ban Russian gas imports in the coming months. The surge in purchases suggests that buyers are securing supplies before the restrictions take effect.
The bill exempts countries, mostly in Europe, whose imports of Russian natural gas account for less than 15 per cent of Russia's total natural gas exports, provided they are taking significant steps to reduce those imports.
It also exempts US purchases of Russian uranium for nuclear reactors and the production of medical isotopes. In addition, activities carried out under US-Russia cooperation in the nuclear and space sectors are excluded from the proposed sanctions.
Tariffs on 5 Countries
While the United States has carved out exemptions for its own strategic interests and those of several European nations, it is proposing 100% tariffs on countries including India, China, Slovakia, Hungary and Azerbaijan.
If enacted, the legislation would mark the first time the US Congress has explicitly authorised the use of tariffs as a geopolitical tool to penalise countries accused of financing another nation's war effort.
"Until the very day he passed, Lindsey remained focused on passing the Russia sanctions bill. Passing this legislation would honour my brother's steadfast commitment to our national security, and it would provide President Trump with additional leverage to bring this war to an end," Senator Darline Graham said.
Bill Named After Linsey O. Graham
The bill was conceived by Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal and Lindsey Graham, who died last week. In his final days, Graham visited Ukraine, where he met government officials and people affected by the four-year-long war.
There have been unverified claims that Graham may have been poisoned by Russian agents, but no US official has confirmed the allegation. The proposed legislation is titled the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026.
