Vlasiuk names countries that could face tariffs after Russia sanctions bill is signed

Ukraine's Presidential Commissioner for Sanctions Policy Vladyslav Vlasiuk said this in a comment to Ukrinform.

"After the U.S. president signs the 'hellish sanctions' bill into law, the key issue will be moving to its practical implementation. The document covers a broad range of sanctions areas. First and foremost, this is energy. The bill provides for tariffs of up to 100% on all imports from countries that remain among the five largest buyers of Russian crude oil and natural gas or facilitate the circumvention of energy sanctions," he said.

According to him, during the first eight months of 2026, China imported 585 million barrels of crude oil from Russia, India 453 million barrels, and Turkey 44 million barrels.

Vlasiuk stressed that these countries are potential targets for the tariffs provided for by the bill. Other countries that could be added to the list following an update of the data include Hungary and Slovakia.

At the same time, he noted, the bill provides for certain exemptions, and the U.S. president has the right to waive the tariffs subject to the approval of Congress.

"It is also worth taking into account Russian liquefied natural gas supplies to Europe. During January-August 2026, three EU countries were the largest importers. France imported 4.3 million tonnes of Russian LNG, Belgium 3.06 million tonnes, and Spain 2.77 million tonnes. At the same time, the EU has already adopted a phased ban on imports of Russian gas: for LNG under long-term contracts, the main termination date is January 1, 2027, while for pipeline gas under long-term contracts, it is September 30, 2027," the commissioner said.

According to him, the risk of tariffs being imposed on European buyers will also depend on their compliance with commitments to reduce imports and the exemptions provided for by the bill.

Particular attention should be paid to petroleum product supplies from third countries that are helping Russia offset fuel shortages following strikes on its oil refining infrastructure, Vlasiuk said.

"In the first eight months of 2026, 673,000 barrels of gasoline from India, 325,000 from Morocco and 309,000 from Türkiye arrived in Russia or were shipped by sea toward the country, while 186,000 barrels of diesel came from Egypt. Therefore, strengthening oversight of companies, carriers, insurers and financial intermediaries facilitating such supplies is essential to the effectiveness of sanctions policy," he added.

The presidential commissioner said that the main goal of the bill's energy component is to reduce Russia's revenues from energy sales. Therefore, the practical implementation of the sanctions mechanism is also important to create real economic risks for countries and companies cooperating with Russia in the energy sector at various levels.

"The second, no less important area is Russia's military-industrial complex. For Ukraine, the adoption of the law means the potential use of an important tool to push for sanctions against companies and intermediaries that help Russia obtain components and technologies for weapons production," the commissioner said.

He stressed that the practical effect of the law on Russia's revenues and its ability to circumvent sanctions will depend on how the U.S. administration exercises the powers granted by the legislation and, consequently, on Russia's ability to finance its war against Ukraine and develop its own technological solutions for waging it.

On September 16, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill imposing sanctions on Russia and Iran, named after the late Senator Lindsey Graham, and sent it to President Donald Trump for signature.