Global fuel buyers push back as US Senate passes Russia sanctions bill
The United States Senate approved a bill imposing sanctions on Russia's energy sector and its top fuel purchasers, prompting objections from China, India and other major buyers.
The US Senate passed a sanctions bill targeting Russia's leadership, energy sector, defence industry and its maritime fuel-delivery network, and it would allow the president to impose full sanctions on the five largest foreign buyers of Russian fuel. The legislation now awaits the president's signature.
China, which has bought about half of Russia's crude exports since 2022, said its trade relations are not subject to interference, with foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun rejecting the measure as an illegal exercise of jurisdiction. India, accounting for roughly a third of Russian crude purchases, warned it would take steps to protect its trade and economic interests, citing earlier statements about the bill's impact on Indo-US relations.
The Kremlin described the bill as an unfriendly action that would complicate efforts toward a peace settlement in Ukraine, spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Critics in the European Union argue the bill gives the US president broad discretion to grant waivers to major Russian fuel buyers or to target allies based on their energy imports. The European Commission has not issued a comment, and the president has not yet confirmed whether he will sign the legislation.