New Delhi, September 19, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Former diplomat K.P. Fabian has said India should not be intimidated by the new US legislation targeting buyers of Russian energy and suggested that the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) should summon the US envoy over the measure.
His comments came after US President Donald Trump signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 into law on Friday. The legislation gives the US President authority to impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on goods from major purchasers of Russian oil and natural gas, although the tariffs are not automatically imposed.
Speaking to IANS, Fabian said the law gives Trump considerable discretion in deciding whether and how to apply the tariff provisions.
“It gives the President discretion. If he assesses that imposing these higher tariffs on a particular country is not in the national interest of the United States, he can decide not to impose them. So, it gives him a lot of spare cards to play,” he said.
Fabian said China and India are among the countries most exposed to the provisions because of their purchases of Russian energy. He cited figures putting China’s share of Russian exports at 50 per cent and India’s at 37 per cent, followed by Turkey and the European Union at 5 per cent each.
On India, Fabian said he believed Trump could use the tariff provision as leverage in ongoing trade negotiations.
“As far as India is concerned, it is my reckoning that, given Trump’s style of functioning, he would use this as a threat to make India sign on the dotted line on the interim trade deal. How will India react? I don’t think India will be intimidated. The External Affairs Ministry should summon the US envoy over this,” he said.
The legislation also targets Russian officials, financial institutions, energy interests and entities accused of supporting Moscow or helping evade sanctions. It includes measures against Russia’s so-called shadow tanker fleet and gives the US President broad discretion over the implementation of the tariff provisions.
Fabian also discussed the potential implications for China, another major buyer of Russian energy. Referring to the expected meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, he said he did not expect Trump to impose the maximum tariff on China, arguing that Beijing could retaliate.
The House of Representatives passed the legislation 262-159 on Wednesday, while the Senate had approved it 86-11 on August 7. Trump subsequently signed it into law on September 18.
The new law does not automatically impose a 100 per cent tariff on India. Instead, it gives the US President the authority to impose tariffs of up to that level under specified conditions, meaning the eventual impact on Indian exports will depend on how the administration exercises those powers.
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