India Warns US Russia Sanctions Could Strain Bilateral Ties — SkimNews
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- S. Jaishankar met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the margins of the 81st UNGA session, where the two discussed Middle East developments and the proposed Russia and Iran Sanctions Act targeting nations engaged in trade with Russia or Iran.
- The Russia and Iran Sanctions Act seeks to target Russian oil and gas revenues while authorizing tariffs of up to 100% on major buyers, a direct threat to India's energy supply.
- India warned that the proposed sanctions could strain bilateral relations with the US, citing its significant energy dependence on Russian crude.
- Russian oil accounted for 45% of India's oil imports at 2.1 million barrels per day in August, following a record 2.82 million barrels per day in July.
- The US State Department affirmed Washington's readiness to assist regional partners with energy security challenges, with high-level India-US engagements set to continue in coming months.
Why it matters: India is the largest non-Chinese buyer of seaborne Russian crude, making it the sanctions bill's most exposed major target. With 45% of its August oil imports sourced from Russia at 2.1 million barrels per day, tariffs of up to 100% would force India to either absorb massive penalties or scramble for alternative suppliers at higher prices — a direct hit to its energy bill and a test of how far Washington is willing to push New Delhi.
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