US Senator Lindsey Graham has sounded an alarm over continued oil imports from Russia by major economies such as India, China and Brazil, warning that President Donald Trump is readying a 100% tariff on oil-related goods from those countries.
The Republican lawmaker’s warning comes amid mounting frustration within the Trump administration over Russia’s refusal to halt its war in Ukraine.
In an interview with Fox News, Graham accused the three countries of propping up Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war campaign by continuing to purchase discounted Russian crude.
He claimed that the trio accounts for nearly 80% of Russia’s oil exports.
“Trump is going to impose tariffs on people that buy Russian oil – China, India, and Brazil… Here’s what I would tell China, India and Brazil: If you keep buying cheap Russian oil to allow this war to continue, we’re going to tear up the hell out of you, and we’re going to crush your economy,” Graham said during an interview with Fox News.
‘Blood money’ and old grudges
Calling such purchases “blood money”, Graham suggested the US was no longer willing to tolerate countries that indirectly support Russia’s war economy.
He accused Putin of trying to resurrect the Soviet Union by invading nations that had declared sovereignty, reminding viewers that Ukraine gave up 1,700 nuclear weapons in the 1990s on the promise of non-aggression from Russia.
“The game has changed when it comes to you, President Putin. You have played President Trump at your own peril. You made a major league mistake, and your economy is going to continue to be crushed,” Graham warned, indicating that the Trump administration was ready to use aggressive economic tools to isolate Moscow further.
Graham had earlier floated a bill calling for 500% tariffs on countries still doing business with Russia—signalling that even the 100% rate now proposed may not be the ceiling.
Trump’s turn and NATO’s echoes
Though Trump once pledged to end the war in Ukraine on his first day back in office, nearly seven months into his presidency, the conflict continues to intensify.
Last week, Trump greenlit new military aid for Ukraine and set a 50-day deadline for Putin to return to peace talks—backed by the threat of new “biting” secondary sanctions.
In a rare sign of alignment, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte followed Trump’s move with his own warning to the same three countries.
Rutte urged Brazil, India and China to convince Moscow to pursue peace, cautioning that failure to do so could have “massive” consequences.
“My encouragement to these three countries… please make the phone call to Vladimir Putin and tell him that he has to get serious about peace talks, because otherwise this will slam back on Brazil, on India and on China in a massive way,” Rutte added.
India hits back at ‘double standards’
India, which has long maintained its right to chart an independent energy policy, issued a cautious but firm response.
The External Affairs Ministry said it was monitoring the developments closely, stressing that meeting the energy needs of Indian citizens remained a top priority.
“In this endeavour, we are guided by what is on offer in the markets and by prevailing global circumstances.
We would particularly caution against any double standards on the matter,” the Ministry said, hinting at inconsistencies in how global powers apply trade and sanctions rules.
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