US Secretary Rubio seeks 60-day pause on Russian oil sanctions amid India ties
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States will use a 60-day window to evaluate the impact of sanctions and tariffs on Russian oil, noting India’s continued reliance on Moscow’s crude.
Marco Rubio, on a week-long trip to Central Asia and India, announced that the United States will grant a 60-day reprieve on sanctions and tariffs targeting buyers of Russian oil, giving officials time to study the economic fallout. He pointed to India’s ongoing reliance on Russian crude, even as the country diversifies its energy mix, and stressed the strategic importance of the partnership. President Donald Trump recently waived major sections of the Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, enabling the temporary pause.
The U.S. also intends to buy 300,000 tonnes of Russian diesel in the coming weeks, arguing the sales will help global fuel supplies. India’s Ministry of External Affairs declined to comment on the commercial arrangement, reiterating a call for market stability. Rubio’s itinerary includes a visit to Reliance’s Jamnagar refinery, the world’s largest processor of Russian crude, and a meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Mumbai to explore deeper energy ties.
Why it matters
The pause could reshape global oil markets and affect India-U.S. relations amid rising energy prices.
How this story developed
- Oct 9 Dutch government braces for US-backed sanctions targeting the International Criminal Court
- Oct 9 The White House scheduled to announce the sanctions on Friday.
- Oct 10 ICC president Tomoko Akane issued a video urging member states to defend the court.
- Oct 10 EU urged the United States to reverse the sanctions
- Oct 12 A judge permitted the lawsuit challenging the ICC sanctions to move forward.
- Oct 16 President Trump must decide by Sunday whether to invoke a new sanctions law, and analysts warn that heavy tariffs on India would damage the bilateral relationship.
- Oct 17 Trump signed an executive order postponing the enforcement of the Graham Act sanctions.
- Oct 18 Senator Darline Graham said she has not yet spoken with Trump about the waiver and will meet him in South Carolina next week.
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