United States Energy Secretary Chris Wright on Wednesday urged India to reconsider its imports of Russian oil, stressing that Washington’s aim is not to penalise New Delhi but to help end the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Responding to a query from ANI at the New York Foreign Press Centre, Wright said India had alternatives to Russian crude. “There are lots of oil exporters in the world. India doesn’t need to buy Russian oil. They buy it because it is cheaper. But that money is funding a war that is killing thousands of people every week,” he remarked.
Clarifying Washington’s stance, Wright said, “You can buy oil from every nation on earth—except Russia. That’s our position. America has oil to sell, so does everybody else. We don’t want to punish India. We want to end the war and strengthen our ties with India.”
Wright also revealed that he met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar during the inauguration night in New York to begin discussions on future cooperation. “President (Trump) wants nothing more than for this war to end. It would also remove a source of friction in our ties. I am all in on energy and trade cooperation with India. There’s a bright future there, but we must figure out how to work together to put maximum pressure to end this war,” he said.
Tensions between Washington and New Delhi escalated last month when the Trump administration imposed a 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods, taking the total tariff burden to 50 per cent, citing India’s continued Russian oil imports.
India, however, defended its stance. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) called the tariff hike “unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable,” reaffirming that India’s energy policy is shaped by market dynamics and the need to provide affordable energy for 1.4 billion citizens.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, “The United States has targeted India’s oil imports from Russia. We have made it clear our imports are based on market factors and aimed at ensuring energy security for 1.4 billion Indians.”
Several US officials have criticised India over its Russian oil purchases. Senior Counsellor for Trade and Manufacturing Peter Navarro accused New Delhi of “profiteering” from discounted Russian crude and previously used disparaging language, calling India a “laundromat for the Kremlin.”
Meanwhile, White House Economic Advisor Kevin Hassett said the Trump administration was “disappointed” with India’s continued Russian crude imports but expressed hope for positive engagement.
President Trump himself has often described India as America’s “most tariffed partner,” calling the trade relationship a “totally one-sided disaster.”
