US Senator Lindsey Graham has claimed that the Indian Ambassador to the US, Vinay Kwatra, asked him to convey to President Donald Trump to "relieve the tariff" imposed on India over Russian oil purchases.
Speaking to reporters with Trump by side on Air Force One on Sunday, Graham said that Kwatra's request came when they met at India House, the ambassador's official residence in Washington, last month.
"All he wanted to talk about was how they are buying less Russian oil," Graham, who is backing legislation to impose tariffs of up to 500 per cent on countries such as India that continue to buy Russian oil, said.
The Republican Senator then claimed that the Indian envoy conveyed to him, "Would you tell the President to relieve the tariff?"
"This stuff works... but if you are buying cheap Russian oil, (you) keep (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's war machine going," he said.
There were no immediate comments from Kwatra, who hosted some US Senators, including Graham, Richard Blumenthal, Sheldon Whitehouse, Peter Welch, Dan Sullivan and Markwayne Mullin at India House, or other Indian officials on Graham's claim.
Graham said they were trying to give Trump the ability to make that a "hard choice" by tariffs.
"I really do believe that what he (Trump) did with India is the chief reason India is now buying substantially less Russian oil," he added.
He also said that to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict, pressure must be put on Russian President Vladimir Putin's "customers".
"PM Modi Knew I Wasn't Happy": Trump On India's Russian Oil Purchases
Donald Trump then said Prime Minister Narendra Modi knew he was "not happy" with India's purchases of Russian oil.
"They (India) wanted to make me happy, basically. Modi is a very good man; he is a good guy. He knew I was not happy, and it was important to make me happy. They do trade, and we can raise tariffs on them very quickly. It would be very bad for them," Trump said.
He also warned that Washington can raise tariffs on New Delhi "very quickly", claiming it would be "very bad for them".
Trump has imposed a 50 per cent tariff on India, among the highest in the world, including 25 per cent for purchasing Russian oil.
India buys about 88 per cent of its crude oil, which is converted into fuels like petrol and diesel, from overseas. India, the world's third-largest oil importer, became the largest buyer of discounted Russian crude after Western countries shunned Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
India has said that its imports are meant to ensure "predictable and affordable energy" costs to the Indian consumer.
"They are a necessity compelled by global market situation. However, it is revealing that the very nations criticizing India are themselves indulging in trade with Russia. Unlike our case, such trade is not even a vital national compulsion," India had said in an official statement in August last year.
"The targeting of India is unjustified and unreasonable. Like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security," it said.
