US Senator Lindsey Graham Says Indian Envoy Sought Tariff Relief Over Reduced Russian Oil Purchases
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Washington [US], January 5: US Senator Lindsey Graham on Sunday claimed that India’s Ambassador to the United States, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, sought relief from a 25 per cent US tariff while highlighting that India is reducing its purchases of Russian oil.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One alongside US President Donald Trump, Graham said the discussion took place last month during a meeting at the Indian Ambassador’s residence.
“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. He asked me to tell the President to relieve the 25 per cent tariff,” Graham said.
Trump Warns India Over Tariffs
The remarks come amid renewed warnings from President Trump, who has indicated that the US could impose additional tariffs on India over its continued imports of Russian oil.
“PM Modi is a very good man. He’s a good guy. But we can raise tariffs very quickly,” Trump said, adding that trade decisions would depend on US interests.
India has maintained that its energy purchases are driven by domestic energy security needs, even as Washington increases scrutiny of India’s oil trade with Russia.
Oil and Global Geopolitics
Meanwhile, recent US actions in Venezuela have again placed oil at the centre of global geopolitics. Venezuela holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves, estimated at over 300 billion barrels, according to OPEC data.
However, the country’s oil production has fallen to about one million barrels per day, largely due to US sanctions and underinvestment.
India-US Trade Talks Continue
The comments also come weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Trump held a telephonic conversation, during which both leaders emphasised the need to sustain momentum in India-US trade relations.
The call coincided with a new round of negotiations between Indian and US officials to resolve long-standing trade disputes. Earlier, Trump had also threatened to impose fresh tariffs on Indian rice imports, following complaints from US farmer groups.
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