US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has described India’s ongoing oil imports from Russia as a ‘point of irritation’ in Washington’s relationship with New Delhi, even as both nations continue to maintain close strategic ties.
Rubio made the comments during an interview on Fox Radio, a day after President Donald Trump announced a 25 per cent tariff along with an additional penalty on Indian imports.
The decision, made public via Trump’s social media platform Truth Social, was justified on the grounds of India’s trade relationship with Russia and what Trump labelled ‘high trade barriers’.
“Look, India is an ally. It’s a strategic partner. Like anything in foreign policy, you’re not going to align 100 per cent of the time on everything,” Rubio remarked.
He acknowledged India’s significant energy demands, explaining, “India has huge energy needs, and that includes the ability to buy oil and coal and gas and things that it needs to power its economy, like every country does. And it buys it from Russia, because Russian oil is sanctioned and cheap, meaning they have to, in many cases, are selling it under the global price because of their sanctions. Yep. And that, unfortunately, that is helping to sustain the Russian war effort. So it is most certainly a point of irritation in our relationship with India.”
Rubio cautioned that such purchases indirectly support Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine, calling it ‘most certainly a point of irritation’ in US-India ties.
His remarks follow President Trump’s Thursday post, in which he declared, “ALL THINGS NOT GOOD! INDIA WILL THEREFORE BE PAYING A TARIFF OF 25%, PLUS A PENALTY FOR THE ABOVE, STARTING ON AUGUST FIRST. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. MAGA!”
India’s Energy Trade Seen as Indirect Support for Russia’s War Effort
Trump also criticised India for what he described as ‘the most strenuous and obnoxious non-monetary trade barriers’ in the world, arguing that India’s tariffs are among the highest globally.
“Remember, while India is our friend, we have, over the years, done relatively little business with them because their Tariffs are far too high,” he added.
The President concluded by linking India’s trade decisions to the broader geopolitical situation, noting, “At a time when everyone wants Russia to stop the killing in Ukraine, these things are not good. India has always bought the majority of its military supplies from Russia and is one of the largest buyers of Russian energy, along with China.”
Also Read: Trump Announces 90-Day Talks With Mexico To Finalise Trade Deal; Tariffs Delayed
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