US Senator Lindsey Graham has claimed that Indian Ambassador to the US, Vinay Mohan Kwatra, sought his intervention for tariff relief from President Donald Trump due to India's reduced purchases of Russian oil.

This revelation came during a conversation with reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, local time, where Graham recounted a meeting at the ambassador's residence about a month prior. The US has imposed a 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods linked to these oil imports, elevating total duties to around 50 per cent.

President Trump echoed concerns over India's continued Russian oil imports, warning of further tariffs to enforce compliance. He described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a "good man" who understood US dissatisfaction, stressing the ease of raising tariffs swiftly. These statements follow Trump's earlier threats in October 2025 of "massive tariffs" unless India halted such purchases, despite reported assurances from Modi.

India has indeed curtailed Russian oil imports significantly, with a 38 per cent drop in value and 31 per cent in volume during October 2025 compared to the previous year. Russia still supplies about 32 per cent of India's oil needs, though imports rose month-on-month in late 2025 amid shifting buyers and US sanctions on Russian producers. New Delhi defends these purchases as vital for energy security, rejecting US measures as "unfair".

The tariff row intensified after Trump's July 2025 announcement of 25 per cent reciprocal duties plus penalties for Russian energy and arms deals, prompting five rounds of negotiations since March. A recent telephonic conversation between Modi and Trump in December 2025 reviewed progress on trade, energy, defence, and technology under the India-US COMPACT framework, with both pledging to sustain momentum. US officials have praised India's proposals, yet no deal has materialised amid deadlines passing.

Adding to pressures, Trump threatened new tariffs on Indian rice imports days before the Modi call, responding to US farmers' complaints of dumping alongside China and Thailand. At a White House roundtable, farmers blamed cheap imports for depressed prices, prompting Trump to question exemptions and unveil $12 billion in aid. This agricultural friction compounds broader impasse in bilateral trade ties.

The oil geopolitics sharpened with recent US military strikes in Venezuela, capturing President Nicolás Maduro and spotlighting its 303 billion barrels of proven reserves—the world's largest, roughly 17-20 per cent of global totals.

Production lingers at about one million barrels per day due to sanctions and underinvestment, far below potential. Trump announced US control over these assets, inviting American firms to revitalise infrastructure and extract wealth, framing it as correcting a "total bust".

This Venezuelan development elevates oil's strategic role, intersecting US-India tensions over Russia. Analysts note potential market shifts if US firms boost Venezuelan output, easing global pressures that India cites for diversified sourcing. As Washington scrutinises New Delhi's energy choices, ongoing talks aim to balance security concerns with trade equilibrium.

Based On ANI Report

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