US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that the Trump administration hopes it can “fix” the “measures” it has taken with regard to India for its purchases of Russian oil.
“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,” Rubio said in an interview with NBC Today on Tuesday. “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,” he added.
The Trump administration has imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff on Delhi as a penalty for its purchases of Russian oil, taking the total levies imposed on India by the US to 50 per cent, among the highest in the world. Rubio said Trump has already repeatedly expressed his “deep disappointment” at the direction that Russian President Vladimir Putin is taking the conflict with Ukraine, even after the summit meeting in Alaska in August with him. “And at some point, he (Trump) may have to decide to impose new sanctions,” Rubio said.
“But let’s remember, he didn’t start this war. He inherited it, and all he’s wanted to do is end it. And he’s going to do everything he can, give it every chance in the world to succeed,” he said.
Rubio also repeated the claim that Trump had ended the recent conflict between India and Pakistan.
“And look what the President’s done and the wars he’s brought about to an end – Thailand and Cambodia, India and Pakistan. Time and again, the President has been the only leader in the world that can get involved. That doesn’t sound like a third-world country to me. That sounds like a very powerful, influential country who is stronger and more respected on the world stage,” he said.
India has been maintaining that the understanding on cessation of hostilities with Pakistan was reached following direct talks between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two militaries.
Rubio earlier met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar here on Monday on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly high-level week.
The meeting, which lasted for about an hour, was the first in-person meeting between Rubio and Jaishankar amid tensions between the two countries over the last few months on trade, tariffs and Delhi’s purchases of Russian energy.
(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)
