Washington, DC, September 10: Moscow’s military operations in Ukraine are being funded through Russian oil sales to countries including India, China, and Brazil, claimed US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker on Tuesday.
During an interview with Fox News, Whitaker called for additional sanctions and tariffs on these countries to increase economic pressure on Moscow. He noted that the Russian economy is showing signs of strain and that revenues from oil exports are sustaining the war effort.
“The government’s (Russia’s) funds coming in every month are diminishing, and there are cracks appearing in the Russian economy. The money that’s paying for this war is coming from the sale of Russian oil to countries including India, China, and Brazil. I think the next stage involves applying additional sanctions and tariffs to continue increasing the cost of doing business for Vladimir Putin and reducing his revenue. This must be done in coordination with the European Union—it has to be the whole free world saying: this is not acceptable. The death and destruction we’re seeing need to end. We need to continue increasing the pressure on Vladimir Putin to stop the war,” the US Ambassador said.
Whitaker further highlighted that while both sides will ultimately need to agree to a negotiated settlement, Ukraine has already demonstrated willingness to reach a deal, including freezing the front lines in exchange for security guarantees.
“Both sides will have to agree, but Ukraine has demonstrated they are willing to make a deal—they’re willing to freeze the front line if they receive the necessary guarantees. Now, we need to make sure that the deal actually takes shape,” he added.
The US has continued to accuse India of profiteering from Russian oil, while Indian officials have countered that the country is being unfairly singled out, pointing out that the European Union buys Russian gas and China remains the largest importer.
Despite President Trump’s recent softened approach toward India, New Delhi is facing global uncertainties due to the imposition of a 50 percent tariff on Indian imports by the US, including an additional 25 percent surcharge tied to its purchase of Russian crude oil, which, according to Washington, fuels Moscow’s war efforts.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has said that “targeting of India is unjustified and unreasonable,” stressing that like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security.
The MEA statement issued last month noted that the European Union had bilateral trade of EUR 67.5 billion in goods with Russia in 2024, along with services trade estimated at EUR 17.2 billion in 2023. This was significantly more than India’s total trade with Russia during that period.
European imports of LNG in 2024 reached a record 16.5 million tonnes, surpassing the previous high of 15.21 million tonnes in 2022. The MEA also pointed out that Europe-Russia trade includes not only energy but also fertilizers, mining products, chemicals, iron and steel, machinery, and transport equipment.
The United States, it added, continues to import from Russia uranium hexafluoride for its nuclear industry, palladium for its EV industry, fertilizers, and chemicals.
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