The United States announced fierce sanctions on Russia for aiding the Houthi terrorists.

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators introduced on Tuesday a bill that would impose sanctions on countries buying energy products from Russia, such as oil, gas, and uranium, if the Kremlin refuses to engage in good faith negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.

The bill, spearheaded by Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal, would apply a 500% tariff on imported goods from countries purchasing Russian products.

The group of 50 senators, composed of both Republicans and Democrats, argued that the sanction, both primary and secondary, could be imposed if Russia breaches a future peace agreement with Ukraine.

Despite the likely confrontation with nations like India and China, major buyers of Russian oil since the escalation of the war in Ukraine in 2022, and the difficult situation for the European Union, the bill allows the U.S. president to grant exemptions for national security reasons.

The senators also indicated that a bipartisan group in the House of Representatives plans to introduce similar legislation, although it was not specified when a vote on the bill might occur.

In their joint statement, Graham and Blumenthal emphasized that the bill would receive overwhelming support in both the Senate and the lower house if brought to a vote.

This legislative effort follows the president's threat to impose secondary tariffs on Russian oil in response to the Russian president's demand, Vladimir Putin, to replace Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as part of peace talks.

Moscow replied by stating that Putin remains open to dialogue with Trump and accused Ukraine of violating a U.S.-mediated agreement to pause attacks on energy facilities.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that they would continue working with the Americans and patiently communicate the true situation, pointing out Kiev's refusal to do anything for peace.

The bill would also include additional sanctions, such as the prohibition of U.S. citizens from purchasing Russian sovereign debt and U.S. financial institutions from investing in entities linked to the Russian state.

Additionally, the sanctions are expected to affect other Russian products, although details on all the products involved were not specified.

Meanwhile, China and India have been some of the largest buyers of Russian oil since the start of the war, while the European Union remains the main importer of Russian natural gas. As for uranium, the United States and China were the largest importers of this Russian product in 2023.

This bill marks an intensification of economic measures against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, aiming to pressure the Kremlin to engage in serious talks to solve the conflict.

However, analysts point out that secondary sanctions could generate international tensions, especially with key countries like India and China, which have maintained trade relations with Russia despite Western sanctions.

The U.S. Treasury Department also imposed sanctions on Wednesday on individuals and entities based in Russia that were helping Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen obtain weapons and other products, including grains.

Among those sanctioned are Afghan businessmen Hushang and Sohrab Ghairat, residents in Russia, who helped senior Houthi official Sa’id al-Jamal obtain millions of dollars in goods from Russia to send to Houthi-controlled Yemen.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that the Houthis continue to rely on Sa’id al-Jamal and his network to acquire crucial supplies that fuel their terrorist war machine.

Bessent emphasized that this action reinforces the U.S. commitment to undermining the Houthis' ability to threaten the region with their destabilizing and terrorist activities.