WASHINGTON– U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested that the Trump administration may look to ease the additional 25 percent tariffs imposed on India for its purchases of Russian oil.
In an interview with NBC News, Rubio said Washington’s priority remained ending the war in Ukraine but acknowledged the strain that trade measures have put on relations with India.
“We have already seen the measures we have taken with regards to India, although that’s something we hope we can fix,” Rubio said.
He also criticized European nations for not doing enough to reduce reliance on Russian energy. “I think it’s important for Europe to impose sanctions, too. Right now, there are countries in Europe that are still buying massive amounts of oil and natural gas from Russia, which is absurd. They’re asking for the U.S. to impose more sanctions, but there are countries in Europe that are not doing enough. So, I think they need to do more,” he said.
Rubio left the door open to additional sanctions on Moscow, noting, “At some point, [President Trump] may have to decide to impose new sanctions. The President has the ability to do more, and he’s considering doing more because of the direction this has taken.”
His remarks came a day after he met with India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in New York. Following the meeting, Rubio described India as “critical” to U.S. interests and welcomed the deepening trade ties between the two countries.
Jaishankar, in a post on X, said: “Our conversation covered a range of bilateral and international issues of current concern. Agreed on the importance of sustained engagement to progress on priority areas.”
In a parallel development, India’s Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal met with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in New York to advance talks on the first phase of a trade agreement. According to sources, the discussions focused on ironing out key sticking points, with both sides optimistic about reaching an interim deal soon. (Source: IANS)
