Trump Made 'Crystal Clear' That India Must Stop, Says Sergio Gor On Russian Oil Trade

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Sergio Gor , the nominee for the next U.S. Ambassador to India, said on Thursday that President Donald Trump has made it crystal clear that India must stop“buying Russian Oil”.

Also Read: Its blood money: Trumps trade advisor Navarro's new rant on Indias purchases of Russian oi

Gor said,“President Trump has made it crystal clear that India must stop buying Russian oil... India has been on our side on various issues within BRICS. Several countries within BRICS have pushed for years to move away from the US Dollar. India has been the stopgap for that. India is much more willing and open to engage with us than with those other nations in BRICS.”

Talks on lower tariff rates collapsed after India, the world's fifth-largest economy, resisted opening its vast agricultural and dairy sectors. Bilateral trade is worth more than $190 billion each year.

Also Read: EU unlikely to impose tariffs on India, China over Russian oil purchases despite Donald Trump's request: Report

Trump first imposed additional tariffs of 25% on imports from India, then said they would double to 50% from August 27 as punishment for New Delhi's increased purchases of Russian oil, as Washington works to end the war in Ukraine.

"We're not that far apart on a deal on these tariffs," Gor, a close Trump aide who is director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

"I do think it will get resolved in the next few weeks," Gor said.

BRICS factor

BRICS, originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, expanded in 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates, with Indonesia joining in 2025.

Earlier on September 9, Navarro, who has been ranting against India over its import of Russian oil and high tariffs, said the country has been at war with China for decades.

In a sarcastic remark, he said,“And I just remembered, yeah, it was China that gave Pakistan a nuclear bomb. You got ships flying around the Indian Ocean now with Chinese flags. (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi, see how you kind of work that out.”

Also Read: Kremlin hits back at Trump over sanctions threat: 'No pressure will force Russia to change course'

In a diatribe targeting the BRICS nations, he said the“bottom line” is that none of the countries in the grouping can "survive if they don't sell to the United States. And when they sell to the United States, their exports, they're like vampires sucking our blood dry with their unfair trade practices”.

He also claimed that Russia is in“bed with China”.

Earlier, while representing Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the virtual BRICS Leaders' Summit, EAM S Jaishankar stressed that BRICS members represent a broad diversity of societies, yet all are affected by these developments. "Today, the focus is on stabilising the international economy and the world order. But it is equally essential that we turn our attention to ongoing conflicts, not least because they have direct developmental and supply chain implications," he added.

The BRICS represents nearly 40 percent of global GDP and almost half of the world's population.

Tensions between the United States and China, the world's two biggest economies, resulted in tit-for-tat duties that reached triple digits earlier this year before being lowered again.

Also Read: More tariffs on cards? Donald Trump's aide Scott Bessent calls for more sanctions on countries buying Russian oil

In July, Trump lashed out at the BRICS and threatened its members with additional export duties after they voiced concern that his trade war was putting the global economy at risk.

President Trump has made it crystal clear that India must stop buying Russian oil.

Other BRICS members are Indonesia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

(With inputs from agencies)

Key Takeaways

• The U.S. is pressuring India to reduce dependence on Russian oil amidst geopolitical tensions.
• India's trade relations with the U.S. are complex and impacted by tariffs and agricultural sector negotiations.
• BRICS nations, representing significant global GDP, are caught between U.S. demands and their own economic interests.

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