US energy secretary Chris Wright on Wednesday urged India to reconsider its imports of Russian oil, saying that the country has plenty of alternative sources.
Speaking to ANI, he alleged that India's procurement of Russian oil indirectly funds ongoing atrocities in Ukraine, while highlighting the potential for stronger energy and trade cooperation between the US and India.
"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" Wright said.
He said that India is buying Russia’s oil because it is cheaper and accused New Delhi of looking “the other way, which is giving money to a guy who's murdering thousands of people every week.”
The secretary further expressed Washington’s stance on the issue, saying that India “can buy oil from every nation on the earth, just not Russian oil.”
“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.”
In August, the US had announced an additional 25% tariff on India, for buying Russian oil, alleging that the purchase funds Moscow’s war machine. The additional tariffs took the overall tariff on Indian imports to 50%.
On the possibility of meetings with his Indian counterparts, Wright told ANI that discussions have already begun.
"I met the Indian foreign minister on the inauguration night and began a dialogue about cooperation and the future pathway between our countries. 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. President (Trump) wants nothing more than this war to end, and it would have the additional benefit of removing a source of friction," he added.
Chris said that he is fully committed to energy and trade cooperation with India, adding that while there is a bright future for collaboration, both countries need to find a way to work together to apply maximum pressure to help end the war.
Wright’s remarks come after external affairs minister S Jaishankar and commerce minister Piyush Goyal met their US counterparts in New York on Monday.
Earlier in August, the US emphasised its role as a major supplier of oil and LNG to India, highlighting its commitment to a bilateral energy security partnership covering oil, gas, and nuclear energy.
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