Russia’s global fuel customers push back against US sanctions bill – POLITICO

The global response to the Russia sanctions bill the U.S. Congress approved late Wednesday has been swift and defiant, with Moscow warning it would prolong its war on Ukraine, India vowing to protect its interests, and Beijing pushing back against what it called illegal “long-arm jurisdiction.”

The bill, which U.S. President Donald Trump must still sign into law, would slap mandatory sanctions on Moscow’s leadership, energy sector, defense industry and “shadow fleet” seaborne delivery system for embargoed Russian fuel.

It also empowers Trump to hit the five largest global purchasers of that fuel with 100% sanctions, a cudgel that has U.S. allies worried. China has bought 50% of Russian crude exports since 2022, India 37%, Turkey 5% — and the EU 5%. The bloc has also been the largest buyer of Russian LNG (49%) over that period, as well as the largest buyer of Russian pipeline gas (32%), according to data from the Helsinki-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air non-profit.