'Point of irritation': US accuses India of helping fund 'Russian war effort'

India’s ongoing purchase of discounted Russian oil is causing growing tension in its relationship with the United States, according to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Speaking to Fox Radio on Thursday, Rubio said India’s actions were “most certainly a point of irritation” for Washington. “Look, global trade – India is an ally. It’s a strategic partner. Like anything in foreign policy, you’re not going to align 100% of the time on everything,” Rubio said.

He recognised India’s huge energy needs, adding, “India has huge energy needs and that includes the ability to buy oil and coal and gas and things that it needs to power its economy like every country does, and it buys it from Russia, because Russian oil is sanctioned and cheap and, meaning they have to, in many cases, they’re selling it under the global price because of the sanctions.” Rubio admitted that while the oil trade is a major sticking point, the two countries still share “many other points of cooperation”.

"And that, unfortunately, is helping to sustain the Russian war effort. So it is most certainly a point of irritation in our relationship with India – not the only point of irritation. We also have many other points of cooperation with them. But I think what you’re seeing the President express is the very clear frustration that with so many other oil vendors available, India continues to buy so much from Russia, which in essence is helping to fund thewareffort," Rubio added.

Trump warns of steep tariffs, criticises India-Russia ties

President Donald Trump added to the pressure on Wednesday by announcing a 25% tariff on Indian imports, set to take effect on Friday. He said the United States was still in talks with New Delhi, but hinted that negotiations were hanging by a thread. “They have one of the highest tariffs in the world now, they’re willing to cut it very substantially,” Trump told reporters. “We’re talking to India now, we’ll see what happens… You’ll know by the end of this week,” he added.

‘They can take their dead economies down together’

Trump also criticised India’s continued trade with Russia and its participation in the BRICS alliance. In a post on Truth Social, he said,

“I don’t care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care. We have done very little business with India, their tariffs are too high, among the highest in the world. Likewise, Russia and the USA do almost no business together.” Trump also accused India of maintaining “obnoxious non-monetary trade barriers”, which he claimed were part of the reason for the penalty.

BRICS ‘hostile’ to the US, says Trump

When asked to clarify the reason for the penalty, Trump said it was linked not only to trade issues but also India’s deeper involvement with the BRICS bloc of nations. He described BRICS as “hostile to the US”. If imposed, the 25% tariff would single out India more harshly than other major US trading partners. It also risks undoing months of trade discussions and could strain the strategic partnership between Washington and New Delhi, a relationship often seen as critical to countering China’s growing influence.