Trump repeats severe sanction threats, signalling a harder U.S. line on Russia

In a development marked by increasingly frequent remarks from the White House, a warning was issued by US President Donald Trump stating that any country engaging in business with Russia would be “very severely sanctioned”. The statement was delivered as tougher legislation targeting Moscow was being pushed forward by the administration and Republican lawmakers.

It was indicated by Trump that support was being given to Congress as measures aimed at further pressuring Russia and potentially Iran were being advanced. When questioned by reporters on Sunday, it was stated by the President that “they’re doing that, and that’s okay with me.”

It was further added that legislation was being passed by Republicans to implement “very tough sanctioning” on any nation conducting business with Russia, with the possibility of Iran being added “as suggested” by him.

The warning was reiterated by Trump, who said that “any country that does business with Russia will be very severely sanctioned,” with Iran again being mentioned as a potential addition to the sanctions framework. The frequency of such warnings was widely noted, as similar remarks had been repeatedly issued throughout the year.

A 50 per cent tariff was already imposed on India by the Trump administration, one of the world’s highest along with a 25 per cent levy linked to Indian purchases of Russian energy. These steps were described by US officials as part of a broader effort to enforce secondary pressure on countries maintaining economic ties with Moscow.

A proposal was introduced by Senator Lindsey Graham for a 500 per cent tariff on the secondary purchase and reselling of Russian oil. Near-unanimous backing was reported within the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Additionally, the Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025 was jointly introduced by Senators Graham and Richard Blumenthal, through which secondary sanctions would be imposed on countries “continuing to fund Putin’s war in Ukraine” by purchasing Russian oil and gas. The legislation was supported by 85 Senate cosponsors.

A joint statement had earlier been issued by Graham and Blumenthal, in which it was argued that tariffs against major buyers such as China, India and Brazil could serve as the “ultimate hammer” to weaken Russia’s war machinery. The administration’s intensified actions were praised and were described as part of a “new approach to end the bloodbath.”

As stricter sanctions were being advanced and as Trump’s repeated warnings continued to be issued, close attention was being paid by global markets and international partners, many of whom were monitoring the potential impact on energy trade, economic stability, and geopolitical alignments.