'We're going to crush your economy': US Senator warns India, China, Brazil over 'cheap' Russian oil; threatens to 'tariff the hell out'
S Senator Lindsey Graham has warned that countries like India, China, and Brazil, all BRICS members could face sharp economic sanctions if they "keep buying cheap Russian oil."
Speaking on Fox News, Graham said, "I would tell China, India & Brazil. If you keep buying cheap Russian oil, to allow this war to continue, we will tariff the hell out of you," calling for tougher action to cut off Russia's revenue amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
"And we're going to crush your economy, because what you are doing is blood money" he added.
His comments come amid escalating rhetoric in the US against countries seen as financially supporting Russia during its ongoing war in Ukraine.
Graham's statement aligns with broader Republican pressure on US allies and trade partners to isolate Moscow economically.
US President Donald Trump, speaking alongside Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office, echoed this hardline stance.
He announced that the US would impose 100 percent "secondary tariffs" on nations that continue buying Russian oil and gas if Russian President Vladimir Putin does not agree to a peace deal within the next 50 days.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
15 most beautiful women in the world
Topgentlemen.com
Undo
Trump, visibly frustrated with Putin, said, "My conversations with him are very pleasant, and then the missiles go off at night." He emphasised that these tariffs were not the end goal but a means to bring Putin to the negotiating table.
"He's fooled a lot of people," Trump said of Putin, who he called a "tough guy." "He fooled Clinton, Bush, Obama, Biden - he didn't fool me," Trump said.
"We're going to be doing secondary tariffs," he added.
Trump's move is part of a wider Republican plan to squeeze Putin's war finances and accelerate a resolution to the conflict in Ukraine, which has now lasted more than three years.
Earlier, US Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal warned that countries like India, China, and Brazil, could face economic sanctions if they continue trading with Russia.
"We'll continue to push for Senator Graham & my Russia Sanctions bill with even tougher penalties to deter India, China, Brazil & others from fueling Putin's war machine.
Congressional action sends a powerful message of support," Senator Blumenthal posted on X.
The bill proposes imposing tariffs as high as 500 percent of countries that continue buying Russian energy exports.
In a joint statement, the Senators argued that nations like India, China, and Brazil are indirectly financing the war by purchasing heavily discounted Russian oil and gas.
"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.
President Trump's decision to announce the implementation of 100 percent secondary tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil and gas if a peace agreement is not reached in the next 50 days is a real executive hammer to drive the parties to the negotiating table.
The goal is not more tariffs and sanctions - the goal is to entice Putin to come to the peace table," the statement read.
"Finally, as President Trump indicated, we will join our colleagues in continuing to work with the White House on our bipartisan Russia sanctions legislation that would implement up to 500 percent tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil and gas and do not help Ukraine," it added.
India, a major buyer of Russian oil since the start of the Ukraine conflict, has defended its position, citing energy security and economic stability.
Earlier, External affairs minister S Jaishankar said that Indian officials have already been in touch with Senator Graham over the proposed legislation.
Washington is ramping up pressure not only on Russia but also on its trading partners. For countries like India, this sets the stage for potentially tough decisions in the coming weeks, balancing global diplomatic relations with national energy needs.
Stay informed with the latest
business
news, updates on
bank holidays
and
public holidays
.
AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
11 minutes ago
- Time of India
'Indian citizens pushed into Bangladesh at gunpoint': Owaisi makes shocking claims; calls detention of Bengali-speaking Muslims 'illegal'
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi (Image credits: ANI) NEW DELHI: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday criticised the detention and deportation of Bengali-speaking Muslim citizens across India, accusing the police administration of unfairly branding them as "illegal immigrants. " Taking a dig at the BJP-led central government, Owaisi alleged it was acting 'strong with the weak" by going after the country's poorest communities. Taking to social media platform X, Owaisi claimed that those being labelled as illegal immigrants were repeatedly targeted because they lacked the means to challenge police atrocities. 'There have been disturbing reports of Indian citizens being pushed into Bangladesh at gunpoint,' said Owaisi in his post. "Police in different parts of India have been illegally detaining Bengali-speaking Muslim citizens and accusing them of being Bangladeshi. This government acts strong with the weak, and weak with the strong. Most of those who are accused of being 'illegal immigrants' are the poorest of the poor: slum-dwellers, cleaners, domestic workers, rag-pickers, etc. They have been targeted repeatedly because they are not in a position to challenge police atrocities," he added. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 1 Teaspoon Before Bed Burns Body Fat - You Will Fit Into Your Clothes Again! Weight Loss Journal Click Here Undo In the same post, Owaisi also shared an image of an official order from the office of the District magistrate in Gurugram, which said that the state government has implemented a standard operating procedure (SOP) for deporting Bangladeshi citizens and Rohingyas. "Police do not have the power to detain people just because they speak a particular language. These wide-net detentions are illegal," said Owaisi. The AIMIM chief's statement came days after the Pune city police arrested five Bangladeshi women from the Budhwar Peth red-light area. Acting on a specific tip-off, officers from Faraskhana Police Station and the anti-human trafficking unit (AHTU) carried out a raid, reported ANI. The women, aged between 20 and 28, were found residing in India without valid documents and using fake identity cards. Investigations revealed that they had illegally entered India from Bangladesh, posed as West Bengal residents, and were allegedly involved in prostitution in Pune. The operation also exposed a human trafficking network that facilitated their illegal entry and stay in the country. Cases have been filed under the Immigration Act, Passport Act, and relevant provisions of human trafficking laws. Meanwhile, in Assam, the BJP-led state government is continuing its eviction drive against what it calls illegal encroachments on tribal land. State minister Atul Bora voiced full support for the initiative, saying it was essential to protect tribal belts from "doubtful people." The Assam BJP on Tuesday reiterated that eviction drives will continue until all illegally occupied land is cleared, cited ANI.
Time of India
11 minutes ago
- Time of India
India protected all sensitive sectors in FTA with UK: Piyush Goyal
India has protected all sensitive sectors , including dairy , rice and sugar, in the free trade agreement with the UK, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Saturday. The pact will help boost exports of labour-intensive products like footwear, textiles and gems and jewellery, he added. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category PGDM Cybersecurity Others Technology MBA Product Management Artificial Intelligence Public Policy Leadership Design Thinking Digital Marketing MCA Healthcare Finance Data Analytics Management CXO Project Management Data Science Operations Management Data Science others healthcare Degree Skills you'll gain: Financial Analysis & Decision Making Quantitative & Analytical Skills Organizational Management & Leadership Innovation & Entrepreneurship Duration: 24 Months IMI Delhi Post Graduate Diploma in Management (Online) Starts on Sep 1, 2024 Get Details "We have protected all the sensitive sectors of have not opened for UK (those areas)....Zero compromise and extensive benefits makes it a phenomenal free trade agreement ( FTA )," Goyal told reporters here. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play War Thunder now for free War Thunder Play Now Undo The agreement was signed on July 24 in London . He added that the agreement will open doors for India to the developed world.
Time of India
25 minutes ago
- Time of India
'Asked for a smoking room': Kiren Rijiju recalls first request to Speaker - here's what he got instead
Image credit: Kiren Rijiju's Insta NEW DELHI: Parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju shared an embarrassing yet unforgettable anecdote from his early days in politics, when his very first request to the Lok Sabha Speaker was for a 'smoking room. ' Recalling his first meeting with Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, Kiren Rijiju said he walked out with a 'good scolding' and a lasting lesson- to "approach such offices with more purpose." "The first time I met Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, I had gone to request a room for MPs who smoke. He scolded me, saying, 'This is your first meeting with the Speaker and this is what you've come for?' I got a good scolding that day and learned I should approach such offices with more purpose," PTI quoted him as saying on Saturday. He was speaking at Sansad Ratna Awards where he also expressed that his political opponents weren't his "enemies". "We are all colleagues. Before 2014, most of my parliamentary career has been on the Opposition benches. Political rivalries may exist, but there is no enmity," he said. Referencing Winston Churchill, Rijiju said, "A new MP once asked Churchill about the people sitting across the aisle, and he said they were political opponents. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like AirSense 11 – Smart tech for deep sleep ResMed Buy Now Undo But when asked about those sitting on his side, he said they were our political enemies. That is politics, but we are not enemies." "There, one MP represents approximately 66,000 people. Here, it is over 20 lakh. They are not asked to fix drains or get someone out of jail. But our MPs deal with personal grievances, infrastructure and law enforcement issues and are still expected to perform in the House," he said. "Despite all this, they are often criticised. Every elected MP deserves respect, it is not an easy job," he added.
