WASHINGTON– U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested on Monday that the Trump administration may be open to “fixing” the 25 percent tariffs imposed on India for its purchases of Russian oil.
In an interview with NBC News, Rubio said the United States is continuing to weigh its approach to ending the conflict in Ukraine but acknowledged that the additional duties on India remain under review.
“We have already seen the measures we have taken with regards to India, although that’s something we hope we can fix,” Rubio said.
He criticized European nations for not carrying their share of the burden, pointing out that some countries continue to buy “massive amounts” of Russian oil and natural gas while urging Washington to expand sanctions. “It’s absurd. They’re asking for the U.S. to impose more sanctions, but there are countries in Europe that are not doing enough. So, I think they need to do more,” he said.
Rubio also left open the possibility of further penalties against Moscow. “At some point, [President Trump] may have to decide to impose new sanctions. The President has the ability to do more, and he’s considering doing more because of the direction this has taken,” he noted.
His comments followed a meeting with Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in New York. Rubio described India as “critical” to the United States and said trade discussions between the two nations remain active.
Jaishankar later wrote on X that their talks “covered a range of bilateral and international issues of current concern” and emphasized the need for “sustained engagement to progress on priority areas.”
Meanwhile, Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal met with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in New York to advance negotiations on the first tranche of a trade agreement. Sources said both sides are working to resolve key sticking points and hope to reach an interim deal soon. (Source: IANS)
