US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Trump administration hopes it can “fix” the measures imposed on India regarding its purchases of Russian oil.
In an interview with NBC Today on Tuesday, Rubio also called on European countries to do more. "I think it's important for Europe to impose sanctions, too. Right now, there are countries in Europe that are still buying massive amounts of oil and natural gas from Russia, which is absurd. I mean, they're asking for the US to impose more sanctions, but there are countries in Europe that are not doing enough," he said.
“So I think they need to do more. We've already seen the measures we've taken with regards to India, although that's something we hope we can fix. But – and the President has the ability to do more, and he's considering doing more because of the direction this has taken,” Rubio added.
The Trump administration had earlier imposed an additional 25 percent tariff on India for its purchases of Russian oil, bringing total US levies on Delhi to 50 percent, among the highest globally.
Rubio noted that Trump has repeatedly expressed “deep disappointment” at the course of Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Ukraine conflict, including after their August summit in Alaska. “And at some point, he [Trump] may have to decide to impose new sanctions," he said.
Rubio’s remarks come a day after his meeting with Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in New York.
(With agency inputs)
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