(MENAFN) India’s continued purchase of Russian oil remains a “point of irritation” in its relationship with the United States, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said. In an interview with a news agency on Thursday, Rubio acknowledged India as an ally and strategic partner but voiced frustration over its energy ties with Moscow.

He noted that despite having access to multiple alternative suppliers, India still opts to buy from Russia, largely because of discounted prices resulting from Western sanctions. “Russian oil is sanctioned and cheap... they’re selling it under the global price,” Rubio explained. “Unfortunately, that is helping to sustain the Russian war effort.”

While emphasizing that perfect alignment in foreign policy is rare, Rubio conceded the issue is “most certainly” a source of tension between the two countries.

The comment came just a day after US President Donald Trump announced sweeping new economic penalties targeting India. The measures include 25% tariffs on Indian imports, as well as punitive actions over its economic and defense links with both Russia and Iran.

On his Truth Social platform, Trump criticized India’s relationship with Moscow, saying, “They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care.” He accused India of maintaining excessively high tariffs and dismissed the significance of trade with New Delhi: “We have done very little business with India.”

The Biden administration had also imposed sanctions on eight Indian companies and five individuals for violating restrictions on Iranian oil and petrochemical products. According to the State Department, the sanctioned entities conducted significant transactions in defiance of Executive Order 13846, which penalizes global actors engaged in Iranian petroleum trade.

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