Washington, Sept 24: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has indicated that the Trump administration may be willing to “fix” the 25% tariffs imposed on India for buying Russian oil.In an interview with NBC News, Rubio said the US hopes to resolve the issue. He also blamed European countries for not doing enough to cut their oil and gas purchases from Russia. “Some countries in Europe are still buying massive amounts of oil and natural gas from Russia, which is absurd,” he said.
Rubio also left the possibility of more sanctions on Russia open. “At some point, the President may have to impose new sanctions,” he noted.
The statement came after Rubio met India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in New York. He called India “critical” to the US and welcomed ongoing trade talks.
EAM Jaishankar said the discussion covered several bilateral and international issues. He stressed the importance of continued engagement to make progress on key areas.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal also met US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. They discussed the first stage of a trade agreement and focused on resolving key issues. Both sides are hopeful of reaching an interim understanding soon.