U.S. President Donald Trump. File | Photo Credit: Reuters
Responding to questions from reporters on Sunday (November 17, 2025) on whether or not it was time for Congress to go measures geared toward pressuring Russia and President Vladimir Putin, President Trump mentioned, “I hear they’re doing that, and that’s okay with me.” He added, “They are passing laws. The Republicans are placing in laws—Very robust sanctions on any nation doing enterprise with Russia. They could add Iran to that. I advised it.”
“So any nation that does enterprise with Russia shall be very severely sanctioned. We could add Iran to the formulation,” Mr. Trump reiterated.
The Trump administration has imposed 50% tariffs on India, among the many highest on the planet, together with 25% levies for its purchases of Russian power.
A Bill launched by Senator Lindsey Graham has proposed a 500% tariff on the secondary buy and reselling of Russian oil. The proposal has near-unanimous backing within the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Mr. Graham and Senator Richard Blumenthal have collectively launched the Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025, which seeks to impose secondary tariffs and sanctions on “international locations that proceed to fund Mr. Putin’s barbaric conflict in Ukraine”. The proposed laws has 85 cosponsors within the Senate.
“President Trump and his crew have made a strong transfer, implementing a brand new strategy to finish this massacre between Russia and Ukraine. However, the final word hammer to carry in regards to the finish of this conflict shall be tariffs towards international locations, like China, India, and Brazil, that prop up Mr. Putin’s conflict machine by buying low-cost Russian oil and fuel,” Mr. Graham and Mr. Blumenthal had mentioned in a joint assertion in July.
Published – November 17, 2025 11:17 am IST
