The United States has acknowledged India’s concerns about the potential impact of the proposed Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act on bilateral relations. This legislation could impose tariffs of up to 100% on major purchasers of Russian energy, a category that includes India due to its substantial oil imports from Russia.
A senior official from the US State Department indicated that Washington is aware of India’s need to respond to the proposed legislation, especially following public criticism from some US lawmakers regarding India’s energy purchases from Russia. Despite these concerns, the US official emphasized that there are “no hard feelings” over India’s stance on the matter.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs has voiced apprehensions that the legislation could affect both the India-US relationship and global energy markets. India has previously communicated with US officials about the potential implications of additional sanctions on its energy security.
The proposed legislation includes a broad national security waiver, allowing the US president the authority to exempt certain countries from specific measures under certain circumstances. While it remains unclear whether India would be granted such a waiver, the US official noted that the provision could be applied based on national security considerations.
Discussions on this issue also took place during a meeting between India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The US has expressed a willingness to support countries like India in their efforts to diversify energy supplies, acknowledging India’s significant energy needs.
Furthermore, the US official highlighted ongoing cooperation between the two nations through platforms such as the Quad and mentioned Rubio’s planned visit to India in October, indicating a continued commitment to strengthening ties despite the current challenges.