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US Energy Secretary Chris Wright has voiced concerns over India’s continued imports of Russian oil, calling it a “source of friction” even as he reaffirmed Washington’s desire to expand energy cooperation with New Delhi. Wright emphasised that India remains a key ally and an important partner for the United States.

“India is an awesome ally of the United States… a fast-growing economy. I’m a huge fan of India, we love India. We look forward to more energy trade, more interactions back and forth with India, and then India is caught up in the middle of another issue,” Wright said during a press conference.

Tariffs And Tensions Rise

The remarks come amid US criticism of India and China for financing Russia through oil purchases, highlighted by President Donald Trump at the UN General Assembly. Tensions escalated following the Trump administration’s decision to impose an additional 25 percent tariff on Indian imports, bringing the total levies to 50 percent, among the highest in the world.

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Wright noted that India has the option to explore alternative energy suppliers rather than continue buying discounted Russian oil. “There are lots of oil exporters in the world. India doesn’t need to buy Russian oil. India buys Russian oil because it is cheaper. Nobody wants to buy Russian oil; they have to sell it at a discount,” he said.

“India has decided to make the trade-off to buy cheaper oil and look the other way, which is giving money to a guy who’s murdering thousands of people every week. We wish India would work with us to buy oil from elsewhere. You can buy oil from every nation on the earth, just not Russian oil. That’s our position.”

US Not Seeking To Penalise India

While highlighting the friction, Wright stressed that the US does not aim to punish India. “America has oil to sell, so does everybody else. We don’t want to punish India. We want to end the war, and we want to grow our relations with India,” he said, referring to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.

On the broader geopolitical context, Wright called for creative approaches to end the war in Ukraine, stating, “Russia trying to find peace in Ukraine is a sticky thing. We are both within the cabinet in the United States and with our allies, trying to find the most creative ways to bring this war to an end.”

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Wright concluded by reiterating the potential for stronger US-India ties: “There is a bright future for US-India relations. We are all in on energy and trade cooperation with India, and we hope to find ways to work together to put the maximum pressure to bring the war to an end.”