Washington

Moscow's military operations in Ukraine are being funded through Russian oil sales to countries including India, China, and Brazil, claimed US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker on Tuesday (local time).

During an interview with Fox News, Whitaker called for additional sanctions and tariffs on these countries to increase economic pressure on Moscow.

He noted that the Russian economy is showing signs of strain and that only revenues from these oil exports are sustaining the war effort.

He also stated that the additional sanctions and tariffs must be coordinated with the European Union and the broader free world to make it clear that Russia's continued aggression in Ukraine was unacceptable.

"The government's (Russia's) funds coming in every month are diminishing, and there are cracks appearing in the Russian economy. The money that's paying for this war is coming from the sale of Russian oil to countries including India, China, and Brazil. I think the next stage involves applying additional sanctions and tariffs to continue increasing the cost of doing business for Vladimir Putin and reducing his revenue. This must be done in coordination with the European Union--it has to be the whole free world saying: this is not acceptable. The death and destruction we're seeing need to end. We need to continue increasing the pressure on Vladimir Putin to stop the war," the US Ambassador said.

Whitaker further highlighted that while both sides will ultimately need to agree to a negotiated settlement, Ukraine has already demonstrated willingness to reach a deal, including freezing the front lines in exchange for security guarantees.

"Both sides will have to agree, but Ukraine has demonstrated they are willing to make a deal--they're willing to freeze the front line if they receive the necessary guarantees. Now, we need to make sure that the deal actually takes shape," he added.

The US has continued to accuse India of profiteering from Russian oil. At the same time, Indian officials have stated that the country is being singled out, as the EU buys Russian gas, and China is the largest importer.

Despite Trump's recent softened approach towards India, New Delhi is facing global uncertainties due to the imposition of a 50 per cent tariff on Indian imports by the US, including an additional 25 per cent due to its purchase of Russian crude oil, which, according to Washington, fuels Moscow's efforts in its conflict with Ukraine.

The Ministry of External Affairs had said that "targeting of India is unjustified and unreasonable," and like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security.

The MEA statement issued last month noted that the European Union had a bilateral trade of EUR 67.5 billion in goods with Russia in 2024. In addition, it had trade in services estimated at Euro 17.2 billion in 2023.

This is significantly more than India's total trade with Russia that year or subsequently. European imports of LNG in 2024, in fact, reached a record 16.5 million tonnes, surpassing the last record of 15.21 million tonnes in 2022.

The MEA also said Europe-Russia trade includes not just energy but also fertilisers, mining products, chemicals, iron and steel and machinery and transport equipment.

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The United States also continues to import from Russia Uranium Hexafluoride for its nuclear industry, palladium for its EV industry, and fertilisers, as well as chemicals, the MEA stated in its statement.