US Senator Lindsey Graham has claimed that Indian Ambassador to the US Vinay Kwatra asked him to urge former President Donald Trump to “relieve the tariff” imposed on India over its Russian oil purchases.
Graham said the request was made during a meeting at India House, the ambassador’s official residence in Washington last month. “All he wanted to talk about was how they are buying less Russian oil,” Graham told reporters, adding that Kwatra asked him to convey the message to Trump. The senator, a supporter of legislation proposing tariffs of up to 500% on countries continuing to buy Russian oil, said the discussions aimed to give Trump leverage over India’s oil imports.
Trump also commented on India’s purchases, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi “knew I was not happy” and noting that tariffs on India could be raised quickly, which he said would be “very bad” for the country.
India, the world’s third-largest oil importer, buys around 88% of its crude oil from overseas and became the largest buyer of discounted Russian crude after Western nations cut ties with Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine. The Indian government has said these imports are necessary to ensure “predictable and affordable energy” and described criticism from other countries as “unjustified and unreasonable.”
No immediate response was available from Ambassador Kwatra or other Indian officials regarding Graham’s remarks.
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