US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington hopes to "fix" tensions with India over sanctions related to Russian oil imports. Speaking on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Rubio highlighted a contrast between India’s purchases and Europe’s ongoing reliance on Russian energy.
"Right now there are countries in Europe that are buying massive amounts of oil and gas from Russia, which is absurd. They are asking the US to impose more sanctions on Russia but they are not doing enough. Europe needs to do more," he said.
Addressing India specifically, Rubio remarked, “We are already taking measures against India. The President has the ability to do more and he is considering doing more."
On India's purchase of Russia oil
Acknowledging the strain in US-India relations, he called India’s Russian oil imports a “point of irritation” and added, "India’s Russian oil buys are most certainly a point of irritation in US–India ties. India has huge energy needs, I understand that but buying discounted Russian oil helps sustain Moscow’s war effort."
Rubio also noted the broader context of the strategic partnership, stating, “We’re strategic partners, but we’re not going to align 100% on everything, especially energy. There are other vendors out there. I hope we can fix this."
The US has already imposed a 25% reciprocal duty on Indian goods, along with an additional 25% levy linked specifically to India’s imports of Russian crude. The White House has accused New Delhi of “fueling Russia’s deadly attacks on Ukraine," while stopping short of implementing harsher restrictions on Moscow itself.
India, the world’s third-largest oil consumer, has defended its purchases as necessary for meeting domestic energy needs, emphasising that it is acting within international law and has not violated any sanctions framework.
Rubio on India-Pakistan ceasefire
Rubio also repeated the claim that Trump had ended the recent conflict between India and Pakistan.
India has stated that the agreement on the cessation of hostilities with Pakistan was reached through direct talks between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two countries.
Earlier on Monday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly high-level week.
The meeting, which lasted about an hour, marked the first in-person discussion between Rubio and Jaishankar amid recent tensions between the two nations over trade, tariffs, and India’s purchases of Russian energy.
About The Author
Comment List