Washington [US], January 5 (ANI): US Senator Lindsey Graham on Sunday (local time) claimed that Indian Ambassador to the United States Vinay Mohan Kwatra spoke to him last month about India reducing its purchases of Russian oil and requested that he convey to US President Donald Trump a plea to ease the 25 percent tariff.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One alongside President Trump, Graham said, “I was at the Indian ambassador’s house a month ago, and all he wanted to talk about was how India is buying less Russian oil. And he asked me to tell the president to relieve the 25 percent tariff.”
The remarks come as President Trump has warned India of additional tariffs over its continued imports of Russian oil. “PM Modi’s a very good man. He’s a good guy. He knew I was not happy. It was important to make me happy. They do trade, and we can raise tariffs on them very quickly,” Trump said.
Trump’s latest warning comes amid growing scrutiny in Washington over India’s energy trade with Russia, even as New Delhi has defended its oil purchases as essential for ensuring domestic energy security.
Meanwhile, a recent US strike on Venezuela has once again brought oil to the forefront of global geopolitics. Venezuela holds massive oil reserves totaling more than 303 billion barrels, making them the world’s largest proven reserves. However, production has fallen to around one million barrels per day due to US sanctions and years of underinvestment. According to OPEC data, Venezuela’s reserves represent roughly 17 percent of the total global oil supply.
The comments also come just weeks after President Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephone conversation in which both leaders stressed the importance of maintaining momentum in bilateral trade ties despite ongoing tariff-related tensions.
The call coincided with the launch of a fresh round of negotiations between Indian and US officials aimed at resolving the long-standing trade impasse.
Only days before the conversation with Modi, Trump had threatened to impose new tariffs on Indian rice imports. The warning followed complaints raised by a US farmer representative at a White House roundtable, alleging dumping by India, China, and Thailand.
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