As Putin rejects peace in Ukraine, US lawmakers seek 500% tariffs on Russia & its trade partners

As Vladimir Putin has refused to make peace in Ukraine, US lawmakers have pressed for imposing 500 per cent tariffs on Russia and its trading partners.

US lawmakers have increased their calls for such tariffs after Russia launched the largest aerial attack on Ukraine over the weekend. Ukraine on Monday said that Russia launched 357 drones and missiles into Ukraine the previous night that killed at least 12 people and injured 30.

Even as these tariffs have bipartisan approval, Trump is unlikely to budge as he has aligned the administration completely with Russia. Since assuming office, he has humiliated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after inviting him to the White House, cut intelligence and military aid to Ukraine, called for Zelenskyy’s ouster, reached out to his rivals, falsely accused him of starting the war, and parroted Russian propaganda.

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Despite such antagonistic treatment, Zelenskyy has accepted all three ceasefire proposals floated by Trump whereas Putin has rejected all of them. Even though Trump has rebuked Putin in social media posts, he has done nothing to pressure him. Instead, he has rewarded Putin by endorsing his position in the war.

US lawmakers seek 500% tariffs on Russia, trading partners

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have sought 500 per cent tariffs on Russia and those countries buying Russian goods, such as oil, gas, and uranium.

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With such secondary sanctions, countries like India and China, which are major buyers of Russian oil, are bound to be affected. European countries that still buy Russian gas are also likely to be affected.

The bill, formally called by the Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025, has been co-signed by 50 senators — 25 Democrats and Republicans each. It has been sponsored by Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham and co-sponsored by Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal.

In addition to 500 per cent tariffs on all goods and services from Russia, the bill calls for 500 per cent tariffs on “all goods or services imported into the United States” on a country that “knowingly sells, supplies, transfers, or purchases oil, uranium, natural gas, petroleum products, or petrochemical products that originated in the Russian Federation”.

These tariffs are not isolated actions but are part of a broader set of actions that the bill seeks.

The bill further seeks sanctions on top Russian officials, including the president, the prime minister, the army chief, military chief, top state-owned companies, etc.

Republican lawmakers press for sanctions on Russia

Senior Republican lawmakers in both the Senate and House of Representatives have called for tougher sanctions on Russia to pressurise Putin into making peace.

Sharing a post from Ukraine’s foreign ministry about the Russian attacks over the weekend, Graham said, “This latest outrage by Russia will not go unaddressed. Without China’s support, Putin’s war machine comes to a halt.”

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Republican Representative Don Bacon, the Chair of Cyber Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee, told New York Post that “it’s beyond past time” that more powerful weapons are sent to Ukraine and more punishing sanctions are imposed on Russia.

“I’m glad President Trump is finally calling out Putin. It’s beyond time to send them more lethal weapons. This Administration must act now. This war may have started as a Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, but this is now under his watch. If Ukraine falls, it will always be known in the history books that it happened with Trump doing little to help Ukraine defend themselves with the means we have available,” said Bacon.

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, the Chair of the House Ukraine Caucus, said on X, “The United States cannot fail to respond as Putin escalates his barbaric assault on innocent Ukrainians. Congress must act — immediately and decisively. We need full, crippling sanctions — targeting Putin, his regime, and those bankrolling this campaign of terror — until the Russian war machine collapses in on itself.”