Washington

US Senator Lindsey Graham on Sunday (local time) said that Indian Ambassador to the United States Vinay Mohan Kwatra had spoken to him last month about India reducing its imports of Russian oil and had requested him to convey to US President Donald Trump the need to ease the proposed 25 per cent tariff.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One alongside President Trump, Graham said, “I was at the Indian Ambassador’s house a month ago, and all he wanted to talk about was how India is buying less Russian oil. And he asked me to tell the President to relieve the 25 per cent tariff.”

The remarks come amid renewed warnings from President Trump over India’s continued purchases of Russian crude oil.

“PM Modi’s a very good man. He’s a good guy. He knew I was not happy. It was important to make me happy. They do trade, and we can raise tariffs on them very quickly,” Trump said.

Trump’s comments reflect growing scrutiny in Washington over India’s energy trade with Russia, even as New Delhi has maintained that such imports are critical to ensuring domestic energy security.

Meanwhile, the recent US strike on Venezuela has once again brought oil into the geopolitical spotlight. Venezuela possesses the world’s largest proven oil reserves—estimated at over 300 billion barrels, or around 17 per cent of global reserves, according to OPEC data. However, the country’s production has declined to about one million barrels per day due to prolonged US sanctions and underinvestment.

The developments come just weeks after President Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephonic conversation in which both leaders emphasised the need to maintain momentum in bilateral trade ties despite tariff-related tensions.

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The call coincided with the launch of a fresh round of negotiations between Indian and US officials aimed at resolving the long-standing trade impasse. Days earlier, Trump had also threatened to impose new tariffs on Indian rice imports following complaints by a US farmer representative at a White House roundtable, alleging dumping by India, China and Thailand.