India Flags Russia Sanctions Concerns to Rubio at UN — SkimNews
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- Jaishankar raised India's "interests and concerns" with Rubio over the new sanctions law during their Wednesday meeting on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly, as the two also discussed the Gulf and Ukraine situations.
- Rubio told Jaishankar that the US "remains well-positioned" to help regional partners address energy security challenges, even as both sides discussed sanctions that could be levied on states engaging economically with Russia and Iran.
- Trump signed the "Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026" last Friday, authorizing and expanding statutory sanctions, tariffs, and prohibitions on Russia while extending existing sanctions on Iran.
- At the UN General Debate on Tuesday, Trump warned world leaders he had gained "enormous new tariff authorities" over major buyers of Russian oil—explicitly naming India and China—and said he would use them "if necessary."
- The law is named after the late Senator Lindsey Graham, who had proposed a sanctions bill seeking 500 per cent tariffs on countries purchasing Russian oil.
- India, with 1.4 billion people, reaffirmed its commitment to energy security through diversified sourcing amid the sanctions pressure on its Russian oil purchases.
Why it matters: Trump publicly named India at the UN as a direct target of his new tariff authorities while Rubio privately offered US energy security assistance, giving Washington simultaneous leverage and an off-ramp as it pressures New Delhi to reduce Russian oil purchases without disrupting supply for 1.4 billion people.
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