Tension has once again increased between America and Iran. US President Donald Trump has announced the end of the ceasefire with Iran. After this, a rise in the prices of crude oil is being seen all over the world. Meanwhile, another worrying news has emerged for India.

Four senior US senators have announced to push for a new law to take strict action against countries buying oil and gas from Russia. He says that to increase pressure on Russia, those countries should be targeted which are still buying oil and natural gas from Russia. He believes that this income received by Russia is helping in continuing the Ukraine war.

Democratic Party senators Richard Blumenthal and Jeanne Shaheen, along with Republican Party senators Lindsey Graham and Roger Wicker, said on Friday (July 10, 2027) that they have reached an agreement with the Trump administration. Issuing a joint statement, they said that they are happy to inform that an agreement has been reached with the Trump administration to advance legislation imposing new sanctions on Russia. He said that significant progress has been made in this direction and he wants to see this law implemented soon.

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American tariff may increase by 500 percent

Senators said that Russia is continuously attacking civilian areas. In such a situation, the US government and Parliament should together take such steps that will increase economic pressure on the countries purchasing oil and gas from Russia. He says that such countries are helping Russia. This proposed law targets countries that buy oil, natural gas, uranium and other petroleum products from Russia. These senators, who put forward the Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025, believe that it is necessary to increase economic pressure on Russia. In the initial draft of this law, it was proposed to impose US tariffs of up to 500 percent on the goods and services of countries purchasing energy from Russia. Senator Richard Blumenthal had earlier called this proposed tariff a bone-breaking step.

America can give exemption to any country

In this law, the US President has also been given the right that if giving exemption to any country is in the interest of America’s national security, then it can be given relief from this action for 180 days. According to American media reports, some changes have been made in this bill later and the provisions related to tariffs have been made a little softer than before. However, complete details of the new and final draft have not been made public yet. In this entire matter, special attention is being given to India. The leaders supporting the law have taken the name of India many times. In June 2025, Senator Lindsey Graham wrote on the social media platform X that if China and India continue to support Russia, then they themselves will be responsible for it.

The proposed law has considerable support in the US Senate.

Meanwhile, a special license issued by America had expired on June 17. This proposed law has received considerable support in the US Senate. A total of 84 senators have become co-sponsors of this bill. President Donald Trump has also said that he sees this legislation as a means to put pressure on Russia so that negotiations can move forward to end the Ukraine war. Although Senator Graham has previously claimed that Trump supports this legislation, this proposal to impose sanctions on Russia has not yet become law, more than a year after it was first introduced.

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India has received support from Finland amid America’s imposition of penalty on India for purchasing oil from Russia. Finland’s Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen, while defending India’s energy imports from Russia, said that India has purchased oil only as per the oil price cap rules set by Western countries.

India’s External Affairs Minister S. at a panel discussion event at Kultaranta Talks held in Finland. Jaishankar and UAE Assistant Foreign Minister Lana Nusseibeh were also present. There Valtonen said that the purpose of the price cap system created by Western countries after the Russia-Ukraine war was not to stop the world from buying Russian oil.

What did Finland’s Foreign Minister say?

Elena Valtonen said, ‘India has bought oil under the price cap and this was the purpose of this arrangement. According to him, the purpose of the oil price cap was to maintain the supply of oil in the global market, and not to completely stop all countries from buying Russian oil. Elena Valtonen said that when the oil price cap was implemented, the countries of the world were not stopped from buying Russian crude oil. Its objective was to ensure that there was no major disruption in the global oil market and that Russia did not get too much profit from oil sales.

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Strong defense of India’s energy policy

During this, Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar also strongly defended India’s energy policy. He said that India purchases oil keeping in mind the price and availability. He said that I buy oil on the basis of price and availability. Jaishankar said that after the imposition of sanctions on Russia in the year 2022, the situation in the global energy market had completely changed. At that time many European countries were buying oil from the Middle East, which was earlier a major supplier to India. In such a situation, India had to look for other options for its energy needs and the circumstances took it forward in a new direction. He also claimed that at that time America had encouraged India to buy oil from Russia to keep the global oil market stable. Jaishankar said, “At that time America had specifically asked India to buy Russian oil to stabilize the oil market.” He further said that this issue should not be seen as a matter of any big principle.

What did Jaishankar say about Gulf countries?

Jaishankar said that many European countries have been selling such weapons, which have been used against India for years. He said, ‘We Indians have never done anything to put Europe in danger, so this should also be kept in mind.’ He also clarified that it would not be correct to say that India is keeping distance from the Gulf countries. Jaishankar said that today Russia is India’s largest oil supplier, while America has become the largest gas supplier. He told that till February 28 this year, this place was with Qatar. He stressed that relations between India and Gulf countries are not limited to oil and gas only, but there is a broad and strong partnership between the two.

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On one side is the friendly hand of Russia which is assuring cheap oil, while on the other side is the whip of America which is bent on making every import expensive with the threat of tariffs and sanctions. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi had to say that people should use less petrol and diesel, because the area from which the world gets the most oil is burning in the fire of war. Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov gave a statement just before the BRICS meeting to be held in Delhi, ‘India should not worry about oil at all.’ The question is, when the figures show a completely opposite picture, is this trust really enough?

The real stake behind Lavrov’s assurance

The Russian Foreign Minister openly said in an interview to RT India that the relations between India and Russia date back to before independence and no power in the world can weaken it. When he was asked why India’s imports fell after the ban on Russian oil companies Lukoil and Rosneft due to American sanctions, he directly targeted America.

Lavrov said, ‘This is an illegal decision of America. India has nothing to do with this. We will ensure that this game does not affect our contracts and India’s interests are not harmed. He sarcastically said that America’s only objective is that you should not buy cheap Russian oil, but buy my expensive oil and LNG so that I can rule the world’s energy.

Why are ground reality figures scaring?

Trust in words is a good thing, but the real story is told by the numbers. India imports about 90 percent of its total crude oil requirement. The cheap oil that Russia started providing after the Ukraine war changed the entire mathematics. In July 2024, Russia became India’s largest oil supplier and its share in total imports reached a record level of 44.6%. But then America made a series of threats of strict sanctions and tariffs.

The result was that within just one and a half years, by January 2026, this share fell directly to 20.6%. Suppose, if your cheap LPG cylinder suddenly becomes less than half, then you will definitely be worried. This is the condition of India’s energy security.

Direct battle between experts: be afraid of America or make allies with Russia?

Opinion is divided on this issue in the diplomatic circles of Delhi. Ajay Srivastava, former commerce official and head of the Global Trade Research Initiative, clearly advises adopting an aggressive approach. He told the BBC that this is an ’emergency-like situation’. He explains, ‘About 50 percent of the oil coming from the Gulf countries is stuck due to the Strait of Hormuz and the remaining 30 percent that we were taking from Russia has stopped due to American pressure. We should set aside America’s legitimate and illegitimate threats and make an agreement for 30-50 years from now. His argument is that America does not have enough oil to replace Russia, because its refineries will be built only for the next 10 years.

But on the other hand, ORF America’s Fellow Researcher Vivek Mishra points towards the bitter truth that India is currently not in a position to openly confront America. He said, ‘A strategic plan is needed to buy oil from Russia. America has imposed sanctions on Russian oil purchases. If India buys oil, it may have to pay a heavy price. PM Modi has appealed to save oil and gas, which should be strictly implemented. Not towards buying sanctioned Russian oil.

This is why the Government of India has adopted a very clever ‘blurring’ policy. Neither was it ever announced that oil purchases from Russia had been stopped nor were the purchase figures ever discussed openly. There was also a slight increase in the purchase of Russian oil in February-March 2026, but this is going on completely behind the scenes.

What will be the way forward for India?

This tension is not limited to oil only, but divisions are also clearly visible on forums like BRICS. While America is pulling India towards itself, Iran has created a new polarization along with Russia and China.

Lavrov may be consoling, but until India finds a permanent diplomatic solution to avoid American tariffs and sanctions, cheap Russian oil will remain an ‘option’, but it will not have the freedom to use it fearlessly. It is like walking on the tip of a needle, where on one side is energy security and on the other is the American market and investment.

At the Munich Security Conference in Germany, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio once again reiterated that India has assured Washington that it will not buy additional oil from Russia. India’s Foreign Minister S Jaishankar, while responding to this in the next session of the same conference, said that India is fully committed to strategic autonomy. That means India is committed to taking decisions according to its national interests independently without external pressure.

India will not buy oil from Russia – Rubio’s claim

Marco Rubio called for US sanctions on Russia on February 14 because European countries were pressuring the US to stop the Ukraine war. According to Rubio, India has assured not to buy additional oil from Russia, which means that the oil orders currently in process will not be affected, but a final decision in this regard has not been taken yet. A Reuters report claims that Indian companies, including state-owned companies, are avoiding purchasing Russian oil for delivery in April.

What did S Jaishankar say at the Munich Security Conference?

In a meeting with German Foreign Minister Johann Wedfull at the Munich Security Conference, S Jaishankar said India is fully committed to its policy of strategic autonomy and the country’s energy procurement will be determined by factors such as cost, risk and availability. He said that the global energy market is complex and Indian oil companies will take only those decisions which they feel are in their own interest. He said, ‘I think like Europe and probably other parts of the world, Indian oil companies also take decisions based on availability, cost and risk, which they feel is in their best interest.’

India can take decisions different from western ideology: S Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar further said that India has the option to take such decisions which do not match the Western ideology. America removed the extra 25 percent tariff imposed on India for buying Russian oil. Trump has also assigned the responsibility of monitoring Indian oil purchases to the US Commerce Secretary. If the US finds that India has resumed importing Russian oil, directly or indirectly, then a punitive duty of 25 percent may be imposed again.

US President Donald Trump once claimed on Saturday (25 October 2025) that India has completely cut oil imports from Russia. He said that this step of India is a big step towards strategic partnership with America. However, India has earlier rejected all such claims and clarified that the decision to purchase oil is based on its national interests and not on external pressures.

The Trump administration said that economic and financial sanctions are being imposed on these companies to prevent the Russian energy sector from funding the war machine. These sanctions include freezing the assets of two Russian companies Rosneft and Lukoil in the US, barring American citizens from any financial transactions with them and appealing to global partner countries to maintain trade distance with them. The move is a direct hit to Russia’s economy as Rosneft and Lukoil control about 45% of Russia’s total oil exports.

What is India’s stance on Russian oil?

Soon after Trump’s claim, Indian Foreign Ministry sources once again reiterated that India will continue to buy crude oil from Russia as it is an important part of energy security and cheap supply. India says that unless there is an official ban at the United Nations (UN) level, no country can stop it from buying oil from a particular seller.

An official of India’s Energy Ministry said on condition of anonymity that our priority is to ensure that India gets cheap and stable oil. We cannot compromise with our interests. Trump has earlier also claimed that India will gradually stop buying oil from Russia, but India’s purchase figures show that Russia is still India’s largest crude oil supplier, ahead of Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

Trump’s next diplomatic move

Trump also said during his announcement that he expected a full trade deal when he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea. He said that we will also talk about fentanyl (a deadly drug) and agricultural trade. It is killing many Americans and it comes from China. This meeting is taking place at a time when tension between America and China is at its peak regarding technical restrictions, trade balance and raw material supply chain.

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US President Donald Trump had claimed that India will no longer buy oil from Russia. He also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured him. Immediately after this statement of Trump, the reaction of the Foreign Ministry of India has come to the fore. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Thursday (October 16) that India imports oil or gas keeping in mind the interests of the people here. However, he did not directly deny Trump’s claims.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said,India is an important importer of oil and gas. Our priority has been to protect the interests of the Indian consumer in the volatile energy scenario. Our import policies are completely based on this. Ensuring stable energy prices and secure supply have been two important goals of our energy policy. Under this, we are expanding our energy sources and also making many changes keeping in mind the market.

Talks are also going on with America on energy matters

The Foreign Ministry said, “As far as America is concerned, we have tried to increase our energy purchases for many years. This process has progressed continuously over the last decade. The current US government has shown interest in strengthening energy cooperation with India. “Talks are going on on this.”

What did Trump claim about India?

Trump has had a lot of problems with India buying oil from Russia. For this reason, he had also imposed 50 percent tariff on India, but Trump made a shocking claim on Wednesday. While talking to journalists at the White House, he said that PM Modi has assured him that now India will not buy oil from Russia. However, India has made it clear many times that it will continue to purchase oil from Russia keeping in mind the interests of its people.

US President Donald Trump imposed a 50 percent tariff on India, after which the tension between the two countries increased. However, now the paths of talks have opened. Meanwhile, a major response has come from the Union of 32 countries led by America NATO. NATO general secretary Mark Rute has claimed that Trump’s tariff is having a bad effect on Russia and India is now talking to Russia through phone calls.

Mark Rute said a big claim during a conversation with CNN, saying, ,Trump’s tariff on India is having a big impact on Russia. New Delhi is constantly in touch with Putin through phone calls. PM Narendra Modi is asking him to clarify his strategy on Ukraine, because India is also affecting the tariff.,

Why Trump adopted a strict attitude towards India

Actually India buys oil from Russia. Trump is angry with India for this reason and he mentioned this several times. However, India raised its vote in a clear manner and stayed on its point. When India did not take action for not buying oil from Russia, Trump imposed 25 percent additional tariffs. It is also important that Trump has also tightened the visa towards India.

Jaishankar’s visit to America increased expectation

The trade deal between India and America was also not able to talk, but the way is expected to open after Foreign Minister S Jaishankar’s visit to America recently. Jaishankar met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. In this meeting, along with the trade deal, talks were expected about tariffs.

A close advisor of US President Donald Trump has taunted India. He has said that India should stop buying oil from Russia. ,The Guardian, According to a report by Trump’s associate Stephen Miller alleged that India is promoting war in Ukraine by purchasing oil from Russia. Even India has received a threat of 100 percent tariff.

One of the most influential colleagues of the White House Deputy Chief of Staff and the US President, Stephen Miller said, “Trump said It is very clearly stated that it is not acceptable for India to fund the war by buying oil from Russia. ”

India threatens 100 percent tariff

Miller said, “People will be surprised to know that India is associated with China in buying Russian oil. This is also surprising.” However, the Reuters report claimed that despite America’s threats, India will continue to buy oil from Moscow. At the same time, it has also been claimed that if India does not listen to Trump, then 100 percent tariff will be imposed on it.

America is trying to pressurize India

The trade deal between India and America has not been finalized yet. There has been talk of many times between the two countries. Meanwhile, Trump has imposed 25 percent tariff to increase pressure on India. He announced this on 31 July, but it will be implemented a week after the announcement. The US wants India to give concession in agriculture and dairy sector and sign the agreement regarding this, but India is not ready about it. For this reason, the case of trade deal between the two countries is stuck. Trump is repeatedly threatening India and pressurizing India.