Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, Jun 23: India’s economic engagement with Russia is under renewed scrutiny as influential US Senator Lindsey Graham pushed for a sweeping sanctions bill that could directly impact countries like India and China. The proposed legislation, the Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025, aims to penalise nations that continue to purchase Russian oil and other fossil fuels amid the ongoing Ukraine conflict.

“I’ve got 84 co-sponsors for a Russian sanctions bill that is an economic bunker buster against China, India, and Russia,” Graham said during a television interview on Sunday. “I think that bill’s going to pass.”

Introduced in April this year, the bill proposes steep American tariffs on exports from countries that import Russian-origin crude oil, natural gas, uranium, and petroleum products. The legislation also seeks to expand existing sanctions on Russian government entities, businesses, and key officials. While the bill includes a provision allowing the US President to issue a one-time 180-day waiver for national security considerations, Graham has strongly urged India to scale back ties with Moscow.

“To China and India: if you continue to prop up Putin’s war machine, you’ll have nobody to blame but yourself,” the senator posted on X earlier this month.

India, which emerged as the second-largest buyer of Russian fossil fuels in May 2025, purchased energy products worth 4.2 billion euros — with crude oil making up nearly 72% of that figure, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.

Experts warn that the sanctions, if implemented, could trigger a global energy crisis. “Exports from major suppliers like Iran and Venezuela have already been restricted by sanctions. If India and other countries are forced to stop buying Russian oil, then prices would rise,” said Prashant Vashisht, senior VP at ICRA.

He added that India’s energy security could be at risk, especially amid rising tensions in West Asia. “Disruption of exports from major oil producers in the region, if it escalates, would be disruptive. If Russian oil is also pushed out, it would be a double blow,” he said.

The bill is currently under review by the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and would require approval from both chambers of Congress and President Trump’s signature before becoming law.

While Washington aims to pressure Moscow into negotiations, Indian officials have not yet responded formally to the bill’s implications. However, the development comes at a time when New Delhi is balancing strategic autonomy with growing global pressure over its energy partnerships.