President Trump announced Tuesday that he will scrap his original 50-day deadline for Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine, stating that the autocrat now has 10 days to end the conflict or face stiff economic penalties, including significantly enhanced tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil and gas. 

A day after Trump made the new policy public, the president followed through and announced Wednesday that goods imported into the U.S. from India will face a 25% tariff as well as an additional import tax on the Asian country over its continued purchasing of Russian oil. Last year, India surpassed China to become the world’s leading importer of Russian oil at over two million barrels per day.

Russian officials quickly rebuffed the revised deadline, stating Wednesday that further sanctions would have little effect on their goals. “We have been living under a huge number of sanctions for quite a long time,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. “… Therefore, of course, we have already developed a certain immunity in this regard, and we continue to note all statements that come from President Trump, from other international representatives on this matter.” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova added that the threat of new sanctions was “routine” and that they would not harm Putin’s regime. “We see that the West simply cannot let go of the issue of sanctions. It seems as if they are constantly stuck in a rut. Apparently, there are no other options left ?" they have been exhausted. We are responding and taking measures to counteract all of this or even turn it to our own advantage.”

Still, lawmakers like Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) are applauding the move by the Trump administration, saying that the economic penalties on countries that buy Russian oil are likely to create a squeeze on Putin that will hurt his war effort.

“Putin could care less, apparently, about how many Russians get killed in the battle ?" you know, hundreds of thousands have been killed and wounded,” he observed during “Washington Watch with Tony Perkins” Wednesday. “I don’t think he cares about sanctions because he lives pretty well, him and his cronies. So what we’re doing, I’ve talked to President Trump about [it], is go after the customers. He’s a fossil fuel economy, Putin is. So Trump is threatening to go after China, India, Brazil and other countries that buy Russian gas that prop up Putin’s war machine with tariffs. … [T]hey’re going to have to pick between the American economy and helping Putin. I think that’s the best way to get Putin to the table.”

Graham went on to note that the vast trade deal reached earlier this week between the U.S. and the European Union (EU), which includes the EU agreeing to purchase $750 billion in U.S. energy over the next three years, will be pivotal for weaning the EU off of Russian energy.

“[T]his EU deal … is the most fantastic deal I’ve ever seen an American president negotiate,” he extolled. “We’re going to put a 15% tariff on European products, some of them … coming in [at] $100 billion a year. We’re going to replace Russian oil and gas in European countries over time. This is a fantastic deal. But what Trump is telling countries like China and India who buy cheap Russian oil to benefit their economy ?" you’re going to pay a price for keeping this war going. Because without you helping Putin, he wouldn’t be able to prosecute the war. This will be a game changer.”

Graham further detailed a bill to streamline the process for the president. “[H]e can do it through executive action, or he can have Congress pass a bill allowing him to do it. I want to help the president [to] give him the most leverage possible. I think there’d be 90 votes in the U.S. Senate to allow the president to put tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil, that don’t help Ukraine, from zero to 500%. Let him pick the number.”

Graham also highlighted how the U.S. must dramatically ramp up energy production in order to combat Russia’s “dirt cheap” oil. “India is buying oil from Russia and reselling it,” he pointed out. “… [T]he goal is for [Europe] to stop buying Russian oil and gas, but that’s going to take a while. We’ve got to build pipelines and ships and all that stuff. But Russia is selling it well below market because Putin just needs enough money to keep the war going. … Trump, as always, goes for the jugular. Trump has figured out … without oil and gas customers, Putin’s out of business.”

The senator from South Carolina concluded by emphasizing that Trump’s economic penalties on Russian oil buyers could be an effective way of ending the bloodshed in Ukraine without putting American boots on the ground. “You’re telling India and China, ‘You have been profiting off this war. You don’t do a thing to help Ukraine. You’re buying oil from Russia well below market. Oil helps your economy but keeps the war going. You’re going to have to make a decision 10 days from now ?" if you keep doing that, you’re going to lose access to the American economy.’”