After Trump’s Threat on Russian Oil, U.S. Pushes India on Tariffs

New Delhi: The United States has reportedly pressed India to reduce tariffs by 25% following a decline in India’s crude oil imports from Russia. U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham claimed that Indian Ambassador to the U.S., Vinay Mohan Kwatra, made this appeal during a meeting last month.

According to Senator Graham, Ambassador Kwatra highlighted that India is importing less oil from Russia and requested that President Donald Trump remove the 25% tariff. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Graham said he visited the ambassador’s residence a month ago, where the discussion focused exclusively on India’s reduced Russian oil imports.

The timing of this appeal is significant, as President Trump had recently threatened higher tariffs on India for continuing to import Russian oil. Trump remarked that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is “a good man” who understood Trump’s displeasure with the situation and emphasized that tariffs could be increased quickly if necessary.

U.S. Closely Watching India-Russia Energy Trade
The warning comes amid heightened U.S. scrutiny of India’s energy trade with Russia, even as India justifies its oil imports for domestic energy security. The geopolitical stakes have been further intensified by recent U.S. military action against Venezuela, which holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves at over 303 billion barrels. Despite these vast reserves, production in Venezuela has dropped to around 1 million barrels per day due to U.S. sanctions and limited investment, according to OPEC data. Venezuela’s reserves account for roughly 17% of global oil supply, underscoring the strategic importance of India’s energy procurement choices.