US Russia sanctions bill threatens India-US ties with potential 100% tariffs

A new bill may allow President Donald Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100% on countries buying Russian energy

India and Russia energy ties have only strengthened since the start of the war in Ukraine, driven largely by Russian oil exports

Here is a roundup of some of the top headlines from across India on Wednesday, September 16:

India-US ties could come under pressure as the US lawmakers consider a Russia sanctions bill that would allow President Donald Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100% on countries buying Russian oil and gas. India, a major consumer of Russian energy, could be affected by the measure.

The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 cleared a key procedural hurdle in the House of Representatives on Tuesday in a 214-211 vote, media reports said. The House is expected to hold a final vote on Wednesday.

The bill, imposing sanctions on Russia's leadership, energy and defense sectors and "shadow fleet" accused of helping Moscow evade oil sanctions, was passed by the Senate last month.

If approved by the House, the bill would go to Trump to be signed into law.

The proposed tariffs seek to increase economic pressure on Moscow by targeting countries that continue buying Russian energy.

India-US ties facing test

While India and Russia ties have grown stronger since the start of the war in Ukraine, driven largely by Russian oil exports, the same cannot be said of India-US relations under Prime Minister Narendra Modi as tensions mounted over New Delhi's purchases of Russian oil.

Last August, Trump imposed an additional 25% tariff on Indian imports over those purchases, on top of a 25% reciprocal tariff.

However, the additional Russia-related tariff was removed in February 2026, while the reciprocal tariff was reduced to 18% as part of a US-India trade framework.

However, the landmark bilateral trade agreement between the two countries remains in limbo, with no significant breakthrough.

Hello! This is Shakeel from DW's New Delhi Studio bringing you the top updates from across India.

India-US ties under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump could come under pressure as a Russia sanctions bill being debated by the US House of Representatives would allow Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100% on countries that purchase Russian oil and gas. This is where India comes in, as one of the major consumers of Russian energy.

Meanwhile, India's instant payment system, the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), is set to be charged for the first time since its launch 10 years ago. However, the government is levying charges only on merchants, not individual users.

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