The Russian Embassy in Washington has warned that legislation championed by the late Senator Lindsey Graham—designed to empower U.S. President Donald Trump to impose up to 100% tariffs on buyers of Russian energy, including major nations like China and India—could drive American gasoline prices “ever-higher.”
Named “The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026,” the bill cleared the House recently, removing its final congressional hurdle before reaching Trump, who has stated his intention to sign it.
The embassy warned that the legislation would likely backfire on American consumers, particularly as Middle Eastern energy supplies are already disrupted by regional conflicts.
“Russophobic instinct underlying the late Senator Graham’s bill… makes a grand disservice to the current Administration’s efforts to Make America Great Again,” the embassy stated. “Destabilizing energy markets by blocking Russian oil and gas trade as Middle East supply is dramatically cut is an invitation to ever-higher prices at the pump close to midterm November elections.”
The embassy also cautioned that targeting major buyers of Russian energy could deepen tensions between Washington and Moscow, Beijing, and other nations. It argued the legislation runs counter to the Trump administration’s diplomatic efforts with Moscow and would create a geopolitical “lose-lose” situation for the United States.
U.S. gasoline prices are already under pressure from Middle Eastern disruptions. Current averages stand at $4.43-$4.44 per gallon—over $1.10 more than last year—with diesel reaching a record $6.40 nationwide, up 77 cents in the first half of September alone.
Disruptions to tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, critical for Gulf oil exports, have constrained supplies. Instability around the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait, driven by Houthi advances in Yemen, has further threatened major shipping routes. Crude prices have climbed above $100 per barrel, raising concerns about additional pump price increases if disruptions persist.
China and India, the largest buyers of Russian energy, have opposed the bill. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun rejected Washington’s “long-arm jurisdiction” as lacking international legal basis. India warned that tariffs on Russian oil could affect U.S.-India trade relations and vowed to “take all necessary measures to protect its trade and economic interests.”
Moscow has long denounced Western energy sanctions as illegal and self-defeating, arguing they redirect Russian exports while forcing Western countries toward more expensive alternatives. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned additional U.S. sanctions would complicate efforts to reach a settlement in the Ukraine conflict.
