The warning came a day after Trump signed the Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 at the White House, according to The New York Times. The measure, named after the late Senator Lindsey Graham, authorises tariffs of up to 100 percent on the top five purchasers of Russian oil and gas — most significantly China and India — and extends sanctions to Iran's energy and weapons sectors.
The bill, passed by the US House of Representatives earlier this week, also targets Russian President Vladimir Putin, senior figures in the Russian government, banks and financial institutions, and Russia's "shadow fleet" of tankers used to circumvent existing sanctions, the BBC reports.
The law includes exceptions for countries that import less than 15 percent of their natural gas from Russia and are working to reduce their dependency.
Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat, previously described the legislation as "scorching sanctions" that would "throttle Putin's war machine." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky supported the bill and thanked those involved, according to the BBC.
Data from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air cited by the BBC shows China accounted for 50 percent of Russian crude exports between December 2022 and August 2026, followed by India at 37 percent. Turkey and the European Union each accounted for 5 percent.
According to The New York Times, Trump has broad discretion to waive the law's requirements — a point likely to be central as Russia warns the legislation could damage his peace efforts. Al Jazeera reported the law aims to weaken the Kremlin's war funding and push for Ukraine negotiations.