Trump urges GOP to delay Russian oil penalty legislation ahead of Putin talks

As US President Donald Trump prepares to meet with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, he has asked Republican leaders to hold off on a proposed bill that would impose a 500% tariff on countries buying oil from Moscow. Trump mentioned that the timing for such legislation, which was being pushed by Senate Republican leader John Thune, may not be ideal given his efforts to restart diplomacy with Putin to end the Ukraine war.

Thune had previously argued that the time had come for the legislation, which would impose an exponentially higher tariff than the 25% tariff Trump had placed on India. The bill, co-sponsored by Thune and Senator Lindsey Graham, had bipartisan support in Congress, with 84 senators backing it and 100 members of the House supporting a similar version. However, such a move could harm US diplomatic relations, especially since the EU, China, and Turkey also import Russian oil.

Trump expressed optimism about his upcoming meeting with Putin in Budapest, hoping it would lead to peace in Ukraine. Regarding India, Trump confirmed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured him India would reduce its Russian oil imports. However, India’s government has not officially confirmed this conversation, though it did acknowledge ongoing discussions on energy cooperation with the US.