US President Donald Trump has thrown his weight behind a new wave of hard-hitting sanctions aimed at isolating Russia, warning that countries maintaining trade ties with Moscow—and potentially Iran—will be “very severely sanctioned.”
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Trump said he supported congressional efforts to advance tougher penalties on Russia and President Vladimir Putin. “I hear they're doing that, and that’s okay with me,” he said.
He added that Republicans were “passing legislation... very tough sanctioning... on any country doing business with Russia,” noting, “They may add Iran to that... I suggested it.”
“So any country that does business with Russia will be very severely sanctioned. We may add Iran to the formula,” added Trump.
The administration has already imposed some of the steepest tariffs in the world, including a 50 per cent duty on India and a 25 per cent tariff tied to its purchases of Russian energy.
On Capitol Hill, senators are pushing for even stronger measures. A bill introduced by Senator Lindsey Graham calls for a 500 per cent tariff on secondary purchases and reselling of Russian oil, a proposal with broad support in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Graham and Senator Richard Blumenthal have also put forward the Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025, which seeks secondary tariffs and sanctions on “countries that continue to fund Putin’s barbaric war in Ukraine". The legislation has secured 85 Senate cosponsors, reported PTI.
In a joint statement released in July, the senators said, “President Trump and his team have made a powerful move, implementing a new approach to end this bloodbath between Russia and Ukraine... However, the ultimate hammer to bring about the end of this war will be tariffs against countries, like China, India and Brazil, that prop up Putin’s war machine by purchasing cheap Russian oil and gas.”
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Read MoreThe TOI Business Desk is a vigilant and dedicated team of journalists committed to delivering the latest and most relevant business news from around the world to readers of The Times of India. The primary focus of the TOI Business Desk is to keep a watchful eye on the global business landscape, covering a wide spectrum of industries, markets, economic trends, in-depth analysis, exclusive reports and breaking stories that impact businesses and economies. With a mission to provide valuable insights and updates, the desk ensures that TOI readers are well-informed about the ever-changing and dynamic world of commerce and can navigate the complexities of the business world.
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