Foreign Minister Dr. On Thursday, S Jaishankar, while addressing an American proposal to impose 500 percent tariff on Russian oil imports, said that India would closely monitor the development that can affect its energy security.
“Regarding Senator Lindsay Graham’s bill, whatever development is taking place in the US Congress, it is interested in us if it affects our interest or can affect our interest,” Jeshankar said at a press conference. “We are in touch with Senator Graham. Embassy and ambassador are in touch. Our interests in our concerns and energy have been interacted with him. Therefore, we have to cross the bridge when we come near it, if we come near it.”
The Graham bill, which has more than 80 co-operatives in the Senate, impose 500 percent tariffs on imports from any country that trades with Russia for oil, gas, uranium, or other products. The bill may be veto-proof.
#Watch Washington, DC | On an ANI question, about the plan to impose 500% tariff on US oil imports, Eam Dr. S. Jaishankar says, “Regarding Senator Lindsay Graham’s bill, whatever development is happening in the US Congress, it is interested in us if it affects our influence … pic.twitter.com/cvhbt6zmmh
– Annie (@ani) July 2, 2025
“Big success here. So what does this bill do? If you are buying products from Russia and you are not helping Ukraine, then your products in the United States have 500 percent tariff. India and China buy 70 percent oil of Putin. They keep their war machine operations,” Graham told ABC News,
India continued to import Russian oil since the Ukraine War, maintaining its long relations with Moscow despite the Western sanctions.
While some Republican MPs hesitantly, they are allegedly waiting for the approval of US President Donald Trump. Confirming the coordination, Graham said, “My bill has 84 co-producers. It will allow the President to impose tariffs on China, India and other countries, so that they can prevent them from supporting Vladimir Putin’s war machine and can take them to the table and tell them for the first time tomorrow. I was playing golf with him (Trump).”
A potentially carved countries in the bill may exemption the countries assisting Ukraine from standing tariffs. For India, which is counted as a top export market to the US, this remedy may have comprehensive economic and diplomatic consequences.
Ban 2025 (T) Russian Oil Import Vito Proof Bill (T) India Russian Crude Trade 2025
