WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump has authorized a sweeping bipartisan sanctions bill that could devastate major economies including India, China, and Brazil for continuing to purchase Russian oil; a move threatening to weaponize American trade policy against nations financing Moscow’s war machine through energy commerce, according to NDTV.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, the legislation’s principal architect, announced Wednesday that Trump granted his “greenlight” to the Graham-Blumenthal sanctions package following White House consultations. The draconian measure would empower the president to impose tariffs reaching 500 percent on countries knowingly acquiring Russian oil, natural gas, or uranium effectively transforming economic partnership with Moscow into a prohibitively expensive proposition.
“This will be well timed, as Ukraine is making concessions for peace and Putin is all talk, continuing to kill the innocent,” Graham declared, framing the legislation as leverage for ongoing negotiations to terminate the nearly four-year conflict initiated by Russia’s 2022 invasion.
The bill, co-authored with Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, permits the administration to deploy both direct tariffs and secondary sanctions against nations sustaining Russian export revenues. Graham suggested Senate consideration could materialize as early as next week, though procedural obstacles remain as Congress confronts competing legislative priorities including government funding measures and an approaching Martin Luther King Jr. Day recess.
The White House reportedly secured revisions granting Trump discretionary flexibility in sanctions implementation, crucial latitude for an administration simultaneously pursuing diplomatic resolution through special envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner. This dual approach of economic coercion and negotiation reflects Trump’s transactional foreign policy philosophy, attempting to pressure all parties toward settlement.
India faces particularly acute vulnerability, having dramatically expanded Russian oil imports since Western sanctions created pricing opportunities. New Delhi has defended these purchases as economically rational decisions by a developing nation, while maintaining strategic autonomy from Western pressure campaigns.
The legislation enjoys substantial congressional support, with dozens of Senate co-sponsors and companion House legislation drafted by Republican Representative Brian Fitzpatrick. Yet its passage would test American relationships with major democracies and emerging powers, potentially forcing nations to choose between energy security and Washington’s favor, an ultimatum that could accelerate global economic realignment away from dollar-dominated trade systems.
