Rubio defends India-US bond, but warns tariffs signal stance on Russia war

Rubio made the comments in an interview with Good Morning America, stating that Trump's additional tariffs on India were part of actions taken against Russia for its war on Ukraine

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday (local time) said that India is a very close partner, but President Donald Trump imposed additional tariffs of 25 per cent for its continuous purchase of Russian oil. 

Rubio made these remarks in an interview with Good Morning America, adding that the additional tariffs on India were part of actions taken against Russian President Vladimir Putin for the Ukraine war.

 

When asked whether Trump had threatened to take action against Putin but backed off those threats, and how much more time Trump was going to give the Russian leader, Rubio said, “Well, I think he has taken action. So, for example, we’ve imposed additional tariffs on India — and they’re a very close partner of ours — and we had meetings with them again yesterday, and it has to do with their purchase of Russian oil.”

 

 

Clarifying further that Trump has taken direct action against Russia, Rubio referred to the bill by US Senator Lindsey Graham, which stated that the US has imposed tariffs on India and China for the purchase of oil and gas from Russia. 

US seeks action from European allies

 

Rubio said that Trump has also urged Europe to step up, adding that some countries continue to buy large volumes of natural gas and oil from Russia, effectively helping to finance its war effort. He added that the administration has been instructed to work on security guarantees, where significant progress has already been made.

 

Previously, Trump urged the European Union to impose a 100 per cent tariff on India to pressure Putin to come to the negotiating table, a move which the bloc was unlikely to undertake, Reuters reported. However, the Trump administration excluded imposing any additional tariffs on China, despite it being the largest importer of Russian oil.

 

India–US relationship of critical importance: Rubio to S Jaishankar

 

Rubio met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in the US on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session and discussed a wide range of issues. In a post on X, Jaishankar said, “Our conversation covered a range of bilateral and international issues of current concern. Agreed on the importance of sustained engagement to progress on priority areas. We will remain in touch.”

 

After Rubio met with Jaishankar, Washington said that the relationship between the two countries is of critical importance and voiced appreciation for the Indian side over its continued engagement on bilateral issues, including trade, defence, and energy.

 

The meeting between the two leaders came days after Trump signed an executive order imposing a staggering $100,000 fee on fresh H-1B visa applications, a move that caused widespread concern and panic among Indian professionals, who account for over 71 per cent of the H-1B skilled-worker programme.

 

However, it is yet to be seen whether the new H-1B visa fee would have any impact on the bilateral relations of the two countries, which are currently negotiating talks to address the “trade barriers”, after Trump imposed a 50 per cent tariff — 25 per cent reciprocal tariff and 25 per cent additional tariff — for purchasing Russian oil.