India will continue to follow an independent foreign policy and take decisions based on its own interests, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said, after US President Donald Trump signed a bill expanding sanctions on Russia and Iran.

Responding to a question on the Russian Sanctions Bill and its possible impact on India, Singh told ANI, “The people of India are the top priority for our government. We will take every measure that benefits our public. We will take decisive steps to ensure the strength and stability of our nation and its population.”

Singh also added, “We maintain an independent foreign policy; we do not align ourselves based on the dictates of other nations but rather act in the best interests of our own country. We have consistently maintained that the tariffs being imposed are unfair, and we do not operate under pressure from any other nation. Energy is a primary concern for us; we will source energy for our country and our people from wherever we find commercially viable and economical options.”

His statement came shortly after Trump signed the Russia sanctions bill into law on Friday, September 18, 2026. The law could allow the US president to impose tariffs of up to 100% on countries that continue to buy Russian oil and gas, including India and China.

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Trump signs Russia sanctions bill into law

The White House said Trump signed H.R. 5334, the “Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026”, into law on Friday. “On Friday, September 18, 2026, the President signed into law: H.R. 5334, the “Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026,” which authorizes and expands statutory sanctions, tariffs, and prohibitions on Russia and extends existing sanctions on Iran,” the White House said. The legislation expands sanctions on Russia and targets its leadership, energy sector, defence industry and so-called “shadow fleet”.

US House passed bill earlier this week

The US House of Representatives passed the Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act on Wednesday, September 16. The legislation seeks to impose sanctions on Russia’s leadership and energy sector. It also targets people and entities linked to Moscow’s defence industry and its so-called shadow fleet.

The Act authorises Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100% on countries that buy Russian oil and gas, including India and China.The law gives Trump broad powers over how the measures will be implemented. This includes deciding which countries face tariffs, the tariff rates and whether some sanctions provisions will be waived.

The law is set to take effect within 30 days of Trump signing it. It requires the US president to impose duties of up to 100% on goods imported from countries that were among the top five buyers of Russian crude oil or natural gas by total volume during the 12 months before the law was enacted.

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India faces pressure over Russian energy imports

The new law puts major buyers of Russian crude, including India and China, at risk of higher US tariffs. The legislation comes at a sensitive time for India-US relations. Bilateral trade agreement talks between India and the US are in their final stages, while the war in Iran has disrupted global energy markets.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is also scheduled to make his first visit to the White House in a decade next week. Singh said India would continue to focus on its own interests, particularly when it comes to energy supplies. “Energy is a primary concern for us; we will source energy for our country and our people from wherever we find commercially viable and economical options,” he said.

Bill includes exemption for Russian uranium

The legislation also includes an exemption for US imports of low-enriched uranium (LEU) from Russia. The bill states that the sanctions “…shall not apply with respect to imports into the United States of low-enriched uranium.” Russian uranium remains important to the US nuclear power industry.

According to the US International Trade Commission, US imports of enriched uranium from Russia rose 23.75% after the Russia-Ukraine war began, increasing from $829.75 million in 2022 to $1.03 billion in 2025.

Russian supplies accounted for 23.42% of total US imports of enriched uranium during the period. The UK was the largest supplier at $1.35 billion, followed by France at $886.47 million and the Netherlands at $648.68 million.

The law allows a country to avoid gas-related duties if its Russian gas imports accounted for less than 15% of Russia’s total exports during the applicable period.

The country must also have taken “significant steps” to reduce its imports of Russian gas. The legislation further targets Russia’s “shadow fleet” and foreign individuals and entities involved in supporting Russian energy production or helping Moscow evade sanctions. This includes vessel owners, operators, managers, insurers and other parties involved in activities covered by the legislation.