Halt all oil & gas imports from New Delhi: White House pushes Europe to copy US tariffs on India
Trump's team is also pressing Europe to adopt secondary tariffs on India, mirroring U.S. threats made earlier if India failed to stop purchasing Russian crude.
- Aug 31, 2025,
- Updated Aug 31, 2025 7:26 AM IST
The White House has privately urged European nations to replicate U.S. sanctions against India by halting all oil and gas imports from the country over its continued purchase of Russian crude, sources familiar with the matter told India Today TV.
U.S. President Donald Trump's team is also pressing Europe to adopt secondary tariffs on India, mirroring U.S. threats made earlier if India failed to stop purchasing Russian crude. The administration accuses India of directly funding Russia’s war in Ukraine through its continued energy trade with Moscow.
New Delhi has publicly condemned the U.S. tariffs, citing hypocrisy in the West’s stance. Indian officials have pointed out that China remains the largest buyer of Russian oil and that European countries have steadily purchased Russian energy products-yet neither has been subjected to U.S.-style tariffs.
Despite this, Washington has maintained a hard line. "White House officials are losing patience with European leaders," said a senior Oval Office source. The U.S. officials accuse Europe of urging Ukraine to hold out for maximalist territorial demands, which the Trump administration believes has exacerbated the war.
Trump's advisors reportedly believe that some European leaders are paying lip service to his efforts to end the conflict while simultaneously working to undermine diplomatic progress since the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska. This perceived duplicity has further strained U.S.-Europe coordination on sanctions enforcement.
While Trump’s tariffs have placed India under intense economic pressure, European leaders have remained largely silent—neither supporting nor openly criticizing the measures. The administration now wants this silence broken with active, coordinated sanctions against India.
The timing is critical. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to meet on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin in the coming days. Sources say that Trump’s tariffs and India’s Russian oil purchases will dominate discussions at the summit.
The U.S. has accused India of profiteering from Russian oil by refining and selling it to other countries. However, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar hit back at the allegations that India was profiteering from Russian crude, stating, "If you have a problem buying oil or refined products from India, don't buy it."
Jaishankar defended India's continued purchase of discounted Russian crude oil, calling it a move aligned with both national and global interests. "We are buying [Russian] oil to stabilise the oil market. Yes, it is in our national interest. We have never pretended otherwise, but we also say it is in global interest," he said while speaking at the Economic Times World Leaders Forum.
(With inputs from Rohit Sharma)
The White House has privately urged European nations to replicate U.S. sanctions against India by halting all oil and gas imports from the country over its continued purchase of Russian crude, sources familiar with the matter told India Today TV.
U.S. President Donald Trump's team is also pressing Europe to adopt secondary tariffs on India, mirroring U.S. threats made earlier if India failed to stop purchasing Russian crude. The administration accuses India of directly funding Russia’s war in Ukraine through its continued energy trade with Moscow.
New Delhi has publicly condemned the U.S. tariffs, citing hypocrisy in the West’s stance. Indian officials have pointed out that China remains the largest buyer of Russian oil and that European countries have steadily purchased Russian energy products-yet neither has been subjected to U.S.-style tariffs.
Despite this, Washington has maintained a hard line. "White House officials are losing patience with European leaders," said a senior Oval Office source. The U.S. officials accuse Europe of urging Ukraine to hold out for maximalist territorial demands, which the Trump administration believes has exacerbated the war.
Trump's advisors reportedly believe that some European leaders are paying lip service to his efforts to end the conflict while simultaneously working to undermine diplomatic progress since the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska. This perceived duplicity has further strained U.S.-Europe coordination on sanctions enforcement.
While Trump’s tariffs have placed India under intense economic pressure, European leaders have remained largely silent—neither supporting nor openly criticizing the measures. The administration now wants this silence broken with active, coordinated sanctions against India.
The timing is critical. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to meet on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin in the coming days. Sources say that Trump’s tariffs and India’s Russian oil purchases will dominate discussions at the summit.
The U.S. has accused India of profiteering from Russian oil by refining and selling it to other countries. However, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar hit back at the allegations that India was profiteering from Russian crude, stating, "If you have a problem buying oil or refined products from India, don't buy it."
Jaishankar defended India's continued purchase of discounted Russian crude oil, calling it a move aligned with both national and global interests. "We are buying [Russian] oil to stabilise the oil market. Yes, it is in our national interest. We have never pretended otherwise, but we also say it is in global interest," he said while speaking at the Economic Times World Leaders Forum.
(With inputs from Rohit Sharma)