A bipartisan group of US Senators has introduced legislation proposing tariffs of up to 100 per cent on imports from India, China and three other countries over their continued purchases of Russian oil, marking the latest effort in Washington to increase economic pressure on Moscow over the war in Ukraine.The proposed legislation targets the five largest buyers of Russian oil—India, China, Slovakia, Hungary and Azerbaijan. It exempts 15 European countries that continue to import Russian natural gas, with lawmakers arguing that those purchases account for only a small share of their energy needs and that the countries are reducing their dependence on Moscow.The Bill, one of the last major initiatives backed by the late Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, has also been sponsored by Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, who urged Congress to pass it swiftly. Announcing the legislation, Blumenthal said the White House had agreed to the proposal before Graham’s death.“Now is the time for this sweeping sanctions bill,” Blumenthal said, describing the measure as much broader than a tariff proposal.Blumenthal said the legislation would impose “full blocking sanctions” on key sectors of the Russian economy, including its energy, financial and defence industries. It also proposes sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin, oligarchs and other prominent business figures.He said the proposed tariffs of up to 100 per cent had been “narrowly crafted” to apply only to the five largest purchasers of Russian oil.One of the lawmakers told reporters that the precise tariff rate, ranging from zero to 100 per cent, would be determined with the objective of strongly discouraging continued purchases of Russian energy by the targeted countries.The move comes as Washington seeks to tighten economic measures against Moscow amid the continuing conflict in Ukraine. US lawmakers argued that reducing revenue from Russian energy exports remains central to limiting its ability to sustain the war.India has significantly increased imports of discounted Russian crude since the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, maintaining that its energy purchases are guided by national interest and aimed at ensuring affordable energy supplies.New Delhi has consistently defended its position, saying it does not support unilateral sanctions that are not mandated by the United Nations and that its energy sourcing decisions are based on market conditions and domestic requirements.The proposed legislation will need to clear both chambers of the US Congress before it can become law, and it remains uncertain whether it will advance in its current form.