Rubio Criticizes India’s Purchase of Russian Oil

(MENAFN) India’s acquisition of Russian oil represents a “point of irritation” impacting its relationship with the United States, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

In a Thursday interview, Rubio expressed concern that despite having multiple alternative suppliers, India continues to purchase oil from Russia.

“Like anything in foreign policy, you’re not going to align a hundred percent of the time on everything,” Rubio said, while acknowledging India as both an ally and a strategic partner.

He explained that India’s vast energy demands include the need to import oil, coal, gas, and other resources essential to fuel its economy, much like any other country.

“And it buys it from Russia, because Russian oil is sanctioned and cheap and – meaning they have to – in many cases, they’re selling it under the global price because of the sanctions,” Rubio elaborated.

He emphasized that this dynamic “is helping to sustain the Russian war effort,” making it “most certainly a point of irritation in our relationship with India – not the only point of irritation.”

Earlier, on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump announced a 25% tariff on imports from India, along with sanctions targeting New Delhi’s economic and defense connections with Russia.

Trump also criticized India’s relationship with Moscow in a post on his Truth Social platform. “I don’t care what India does with Russia,” Trump stated.

“They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care. We have done very little business with India, their Tariffs are too high, among the highest in the world.”

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