Bessent: 85 senators support 500% tariffs on China for purchasing oil from Russia

Bessent noted that despite Beijing’s statements about wanting to "maintain peace in the world," China’s purchase of Russian oil fuels Russia’s military machine.

"China buys 60% of Russian energy. They buy 90 % of Iranian. We will be producing photos soon, supplied to us by the Ukrainian government, that show Chinese parts comprise substantial amounts of Ukrainian drones," the Treasury Secretary added.

According to Bessent, Trump instructed him to inform European allies that the US will support tariffs on China for its purchase of Russian oil.

He added that the US is currently in a shutdown situation, where Republicans cannot secure the support of seven Democratic senators.

"But 85 US senators are willing to give President Trump the authority to put up to 500 % tariffs on China for the purchase of Russian oil. We are told that the European Parliament will not pass a similar measure," emphasized the US Treasury Secretary.

Graham’s Bill

Senator Lindsey Graham drafted the Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025, which envisages the most extensive sanctions against Russia throughout the entire war. It is aimed at forcing the Kremlin to stop its aggression against Ukraine and come to the table for genuine negotiations.

The bill provides for the freezing of assets and transactions for Russian officials, military personnel, and oligarchs, as well as sanctions against key banks, including the Central Bank, Sberbank, and Gazprombank.

The initiative pays special attention to the energy sector: it proposes imposing 500% tariffs on all Russian-origin goods, as well as similar duties for countries that continue to purchase oil, gas, uranium, and petroleum products from Russia.

More details about the initiative can be found in the RBC-Ukraine material.