Hours after the US Senate voted to advance the Russia sanctions bill, which could result in 100 per cent tariffs on India and four other countries, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the senators for the “very important” bill.
Zelensky, who is in Washington, went to the US Capitol and watched the vote on the bill from the Senate gallery. Following the bipartisan 86-12 procedural vote, which carried the bill through the first crucial steps toward passage, the Ukrainian President thanked the US senators.
He said that Ukraine is “thankful” for this very important bill, adding that sanctions pressure on Russia is crucial.
Zelensky said it is not just about money or how Russia plans to finance this war, but the sanctions bill is also a big signal to Europe.
He said the legislation “is important as a moral signal to a country that is weary and tired, though holding its own and then some against Russia.”
The sanctions bill was championed by late US senator Lindsey Graham, who was among Ukraine’s most outspoken and influential allies. The legislation aims to increase economic pressure on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
The crucial vote on the bill took place on the day of Graham’s funeral.
‘First step towards peace’
In a post on X, Zelensky said, “It is symbolic that today, as we bid farewell to Senator Lindsey Graham, the Senate held a procedural vote on a bill imposing sanctions against Russia that he had worked so hard on. It was an honor to be present as the votes were counted – 86 senators supported the bill.”
The Ukrainian leader said the sanctions bill is the first step toward implementing the late senator’s plans and is certainly “a step toward peace.”
In his X post as well, Zelensky thanked the senators for their support and their “high assessment of the results of our warriors on the front lines and Ukraine’s ability to respond justly to Russia for its strikes against our people.”
Lindsey Graham and senator Richard Blumenthal had announced a deal with the White House on the Russia sanctions bill on July 10, just a day before the former’s sudden death.
Blumenthal said Graham had told him that the deal they struck was a “big effing deal” in the last conversation they had just before he died, the Associated Press reported.
The senator described the bill as a “significant part” of Graham’s legacy.
About the Russia sanctions bill
The bill, first introduced in April 2025, was greenlit by US President Donald Trump earlier this year amid tensions over a trade deal between New Delhi and Washington.
The legislation allows Trump to impose up to 100% tariffs on the world’s top five purchasers of Russian oil or natural gas, with India and China included on that list.
The bill also allows exceptions for countries that import less than 15 per cent of their natural gas from Russia, and are taking further measures to reduce those imports.
How bill might impact India?
Trump first penalised India over its Russian oil purchases in August 2025, with an additional 25 per cent tariff against New Delhi for “fueling (Vladimir) Putin’s war.”
This raised India’s tariffs to 50 per cent.
India is the second-largest buyer of Russian crude oil, after China. If the bill is passed and enforced, it may pose challenges for the India-US ties.
Washington and New Delhi are yet to finalise a bilateral trade agreement that would bring the total tariffs on India down to 18 per cent.
