Hungarian MP asks U.S. for Russia sanctions exemption

President Donald Trump intends to endorse legislation that empowers him to impose tariffs of up to 100% on nations purchasing Russian oil and gas, according to a White House insider. The bipartisan bill, endorsed by the late Senator Lindsey Graham, was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives on Sept. 16, shortly after the Senate's approval in August.

The legislation would grant Trump the authority to impose such tariffs on the five biggest buyers of Russian oil and gas, as well as five countries aiding Moscow in circumventing energy sanctions. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky had urged U.S. lawmakers to pass the bill, emphasizing the need for strong personal decisions from Trump.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov cautioned that additional U.S. sanctions against Russia could complicate efforts to resolve the conflict in Ukraine peacefully. The approved legislation targets countries importing Russian energy products, with China, India, and Turkey among the largest foreign buyers of Russian oil. The EU, China, and Turkey are the principal importers of Russian natural gas.

The list of sanctioned countries would be reviewed every 180 days, with exemptions for those importing less than 15% of Russia's total natural gas exports and actively reducing their imports. The bill would also impose sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin, senior officials, major financial institutions like the Central Bank, Sberbank, and Gazprombank, Russian state-owned companies, foreign entities supporting Russia's defense-industrial base, major energy projects, and Moscow's shadow fleet.