Prateek Tanmay
US Senator Lindsey Graham, who had become a Trump loyalist and one of the most prominent lawmakers batting for economic actions to further American interests, died on Saturday, July 11. He was 71. Active till nearly the very end — he was in Ukraine on Friday, and was due to attend a media event later in the week — Graham had questioned India’s purchase of Russian oil repeatedly, painting it as part of a set of countries financing President Vladimir Putin’s Ukraine war. He also termed payment made to buy oil as “blood money”.
“On the evening of Saturday, July 11, US Senator Lindsey Graham passed away from a brief and sudden illness,” a statement said. His family asked for privacy.
In the past few years, Graham had used his position to push for steep tariffs on countries that continued importing Russian energy. This included India, China, and Brazil.
Push for tariffs on India over Russian oil
Graham introduced the bipartisan Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025 with Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, proposing tariffs of at least 500 per cent on countries that continued purchasing Russian-origin petroleum, natural gas, uranium and other energy products if Russia refused to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine.
India was one of the largest buyers of discounted Russian crude and Graham argued that purchased oil from Moscow was helping finance its war effort and should face economic consequences.
Graham even announced that US President Donald Trump had “greenlit” the Graham-Blumenthal sanctions bill. He said the measure would force countries to choose between access to the US economy and trade with Russia.
Over the following months, Graham repeated that message, naming India, China and Brazil as countries that could face penalties if they continued buying Russian oil.
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He said the tariffs on Russian oil would be a direct warning to other nations. “Here’s what I would tell China, India and Brazil: If you keep buying cheap Russian oil to allow this war to continue, we’re going to tear the hell out of you and we’re going to crush your economy, because what you’re doing is blood money.”
“You’re buying cheap Russian oil at the expense of the world, and President Trump is tired of this game,” Graham said, before adding: “China, India, and Brazil they’re about to face a choice between the American economy or helping Putin. And I think they’re going to come pick the American economy”.
Claimed India reduced Russian oil purchases
Graham also claimed India had reduced its purchases of Russian oil “dramatically” and cited it as an example of how tariff threats could influence countries’ decisions. India did not link any changes in its energy imports to Graham’s proposal and maintained that its oil purchases were based on energy security and price considerations.
After the Trump administration imposed tariffs linked to Russian oil purchases in August 2025, Graham said the pressure on India had helped push Russian President Vladimir Putin towards negotiations. He also argued that countries would eventually “choose the American economy” over Russian energy.
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The proposed sanctions and tariff measures drew attention in India because of their potential impact on bilateral trade. New Delhi maintained that its purchases of Russian crude served its energy security and economic interests.
Fresh sanctions push
The Republican senator had visited Ukraine just before his death and announced an agreement on Friday with the Trump administration to move forward on a package of sanctions against Russia.
In July 2026, Graham joined a bipartisan group of senators in announcing an agreement with the Trump administration to revive an updated Russia sanctions bill targeting buyers of Russian oil and gas. The announcement did not name India, but the proposal could have affected countries that continued importing Russian energy.
Graham served in the US Senate since 2003 and chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee from 2019 to 2021. In recent years, he remained one of the leading Republican voices on foreign policy, particularly on Ukraine, Russia and US sanctions.
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World leaders pay tribute
Leaders across Europe, Ukraine and Israel paid tribute to Graham, praising his support for NATO, Ukraine and the US-Israel alliance. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, NATO chief Mark Rutte and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were among those who remembered him as a close ally. Iranian state television, meanwhile, announced his death in hostile terms.
