India Vows Energy Security Amid US Russia Tariff Bill — SkimNews
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- US House of Representatives passed a bill authorizing tariffs of up to 100% on countries that continue buying Russian oil and gas, naming India among the targets.
- India's Ministry of External Affairs declared the country "firmly committed to ensuring energy security for its 1.4 billion people" through diversified sourcing and "evolving market dynamics."
- India, the world's third-largest oil importer, has made Russia one of its largest oil suppliers and called the relationship "necessary for its energy needs," resisting outside pressure to scale it back.
- The Russia sanctions package also targets Russia's energy and defense sectors, President Putin and other senior officials, and Moscow's so-called shadow fleet of older tankers used to circumvent sanctions.
- Beijing and New Delhi are expected to be the main targets of the secondary tariff measures, and the bill also extends existing US sanctions on Iran.
- India's foreign ministry said it will take "all necessary measures to protect its trade and economic interests" and is working with trade and industry bodies on the bill's implications.
- The legislation now heads to President Trump for signature after passing the House, having already raised the issue with US officials in recent months.
Why it matters: As the world's third-largest oil importer with Russia among its biggest suppliers, India now faces a binary choice under the pending law: absorb punishing 100% tariffs on Russian crude or scramble to replace volumes serving 1.4 billion people. The secondary-sanctions architecture also weaponizes US trade policy against China simultaneously, reshaping New Delhi's diplomatic calculus on energy partnerships.
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