Jaishankar Raises India’s Concerns Over Russian Oil Tariff Law With Rubio
United Nations — External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar raised India’s concerns over recent U.S. legislation authorizing tariffs on buyers of Russian oil during a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in New York on Wednesday.
Jaishankar said on X after the meeting that he “reiterated India’s interests and concerns with regard to SRIA,” referring to the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026.
If enforced against India, the tariff could affect Indian exports to the United States and complicate ongoing trade negotiations between the two countries.
Following passage of the legislation, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said, “India remains firmly committed to ensuring energy security for its 1.4 billion people.”
“It will continue to do so through diversified sourcing and on the basis of evolving market dynamics,” the ministry said.
About 37 percent of Russia’s oil exports are estimated to go to India.
President Donald Trump previously imposed an additional 25 percent tariff on Indian goods over the country’s purchases of Russian oil, but the measure was rescinded in February.
Rubio did not mention SRIA in his X post about the meeting.
“Together, we are building on the US-India strategic partnership and coordinating on key regional priorities and upcoming multilateral efforts,” Rubio wrote.
The Jaishankar-Rubio meeting came ahead of a scheduled meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington.
Jaishankar said he and Rubio also “discussed the Gulf and Ukraine situations.”
Disruptions to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz following attacks on Iran by Israel and the United States have had a significant impact on India, a major importer of oil from the Gulf region.
Last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi publicly urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine in the interest of humanity.
Jaishankar’s meeting with Rubio was among a series of high-level discussions he has held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly’s high-level week.
While the Russian oil tariff legislation and unresolved trade negotiations remain issues in India-U.S. relations, cooperation has continued in other areas.
India and the United States are members of the Quad alongside Japan and Australia and have worked together on security issues in the Indo-Pacific.
At a Quad foreign ministers’ meeting in New Delhi in May, the four countries reiterated cooperation on maritime security, port infrastructure and energy amid concerns about China’s growing influence in the region. (Source: IANS)
