US Senator Says Indian Envoy Sought Tariff Relief Amid Russia Oil Concerns

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One alongside 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% tariff.”

The remarks come as President Trump has warned India of additional tariffs over its continued imports of Russian 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 warning comes amid growing scrutiny in Washington over India’s energy trade with Russia, even as New Delhi has defended its oil purchases as critical to maintaining domestic energy security.

Meanwhile, the recent US strike on Venezuela has once again pushed oil geopolitics into focus. Venezuela holds massive oil reserves of over 303 billion barrels, making them the world’s largest proven reserves. However, production has fallen to around 1 million barrels per day due to US sanctions and underinvestment.

Venezuela’s oil reserves account for roughly 17 per cent of the total global supply, according to OPEC data, highlighting the strategic importance of energy resources in current geopolitical tensions.

The comments also come just weeks after Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephonic conversation, during which both leaders emphasized the need to maintain momentum in bilateral trade ties despite ongoing tariff-related frictions.

That call coincided with the launch of a new round of negotiations between Indian and US officials aimed at resolving the long-standing trade impasse.

Only days before speaking with Modi, Trump had threatened to impose new tariffs on Indian rice imports following complaints from a US farmer representative at a White House roundtable, who alleged dumping by India, China and Thailand.