From Strategic Relations To Tariff Pressure, What Were US Senator Lindsey Graham's Views On India?
From Strategic Relations To 500% Tariff Push, What Were US Senator Lindsey Graham's Views On India? Published By, Last Updated: July 12, 2026, 16:01 IST
From Strategic Relations To 500% Tariff Push, What Were US Senator Lindsey Graham's Views On India? Published By, Last Updated: July 12, 2026, 16:01 IST Graham had been a prominent advocate of using economic sanctions against countries that continue purchasing Russian energy, including India. Rapid Read US Senator Lindsey Graham. (Reuters) US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a prominent foreign policy hawk, has died of a sudden heart attack at the age of 71. Graham, who was one of the most influential Republican voices on foreign policy, emerged as a strong critic of India’s Russian oil purchases in US President Donald Trump’s second term. Graham played a leading role in shaping the Republican Party’s policy on issues ranging from Ukraine and Russia to the Middle East, where he actively backed Israel’s military operations against Iran. Graham had been a prominent advocate of using economic sanctions against countries that continue purchasing Russian energy. The Senator’s views on India had shifted occasionally. While he has supported strategic relations between India and the United States, he had also criticised New Delhi’s energy imports from Russia, alleging that it was fuelling Moscow’s war efforts against Ukraine.
Closer Defence Ties With India Graham, one of Trump’s closest allies in US Congress, had a reputation for being willing to reach out and work with Democrats on critical policy areas. The senator had been one of Iran’s staunchest critics, backing President Donald Trump’s decision to launch the military campaign on February 28 and warning other countries of consequences if they refused to join the US-led effort. Graham supported strategic relations between the United States and India, repeatedly backing closer defence, security and Indo-Pacific cooperation between the two countries to counter China’s growing influence in the region. Graham has backed deeper US-India collaboration through initiatives such as the Quad. ALSO READ: From ‘Pakistan As Mediator Is Problematic’ To ‘500% Tariffs On India’: Lindsey Graham’s Most Explosive Remarks Tariff Pressure On India However, Graham became a vocal critic of India’s continued defence and energy ties with Russia, particularly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. He and Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal introduced the Sanctioning Russia Act in April 2025, which proposed 500% tariffs on countries purchasing Russian oil and gas.
Graham repeatedly named India, China and Brazil as countries that would be subjected to US pressure, alleging that their purchase of discounted Russian energy provided Moscow with revenue to continue its war against Ukraine. The Senator has called on India to diversify its defence procurement and energy imports, while aligning closely with the United States. He also supported Trump’s 50% tariffs on Indian imports last year, calling it a “good example" of how policy measures could influence other countries’ behaviour. “The Trump Administration’s tariffs on India caused India to change its behaviour, in terms of purchasing cheap Russian oil," he said in a statement in February. India has maintained that its oil purchases were determined by its energy security, market conditions and the need to secure affordable supplies for Indian consumers. A day before his death, Graham and other senators announced an agreement with the Trump administration to advance an updated Russia sanctions package. “We’ve reached an agreement with the White House on a version of the Russian sanctions bill that they will support.
The BriefWire