US Senator reports that Trump supports a bill to impose sanctions on China, India, and Brazil over their imports of Russian oil

US President Donald Trump has agreed to allow a bipartisan sanctions bill targeting countries doing business with Russia to proceed in Congress, with a vote possibly as soon as next week, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said on Wednesday.

In a statement, Graham said Trump had “greenlit” the legislation following a meeting between the two, according to Reuters. The bill, which Graham has been developing with both Republicans and Democrats for months, would impose sanctions on countries that engage with Russia, including those importing its energy exports, due to Moscow’s refusal to negotiate a peace settlement with Ukraine. Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

“This bill will allow President Trump to punish countries that buy cheap Russian oil, fueling Putin’s war machine,” Graham said, naming China, India, and Brazil as potential targets. The South Carolina senator expressed hope for a “strong bipartisan vote” on the measure as early as next week.

Legislative leaders in the Senate and House had delayed a vote while Trump favored imposing tariffs specifically on goods imported from India, the world’s second-largest buyer of Russian oil after China.

A US official told Reuters in November that Trump would sign the legislation if passed, but would require specific provisions to ensure he retained control over the sanctions. Efforts to end the nearly four-year conflict in Ukraine have accelerated since November. On Tuesday, the US backed a broad coalition of Ukraine’s allies, pledging security guarantees that would include binding commitments to defend the country if Russia attacks again.

However, Moscow has shown no public willingness to compromise after Kyiv requested changes to a US proposal that initially supported Russia’s main demands. Russia has also offered no indication that it would accept a peace deal under the security guarantees envisioned by Ukraine’s allies.

What is the Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025?

The bill enforces penalties on individuals or entities if the President determines that the Russian government, or someone acting on its behalf, is involved in:

1. Refusing to negotiate a peace agreement with Ukraine;

2. Violating an existing peace agreement;

3. Launching a new invasion of Ukraine; or

4. Attempting to overthrow, dismantle, or undermine the Ukrainian government.

If the President makes such a determination, the bill mandates the following actions:

• Visa and property-blocking sanctions on specified persons, including the Russian president, certain military commanders, and any foreign entities knowingly supplying defense items to Russia’s armed forces;

• An increase in duties on all goods and services imported from Russia to at least 500% of their value;

• An increase in duties on all goods and services imported from countries knowingly trading Russian-origin uranium or petroleum products to at least 500% of their value;

• Property-blocking sanctions on Russian financial institutions or those transacting with them, enforced by the US Treasury Department; and

• A ban by the US Commerce Department on the export, reexport, or in-country transfer of any US-produced energy or energy products to Russia.