‘No Hard Feelings’: US Responds to India’s Warning Over Russia Sanctions Act
The US has taken note of India's warning that the Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, which could impose up to 100 per cent tariffs on top Russian energy buyers including India, may hurt bilateral ties. A senior State Department official cited a 'national security waiver' and Rubio's planned October visit.
The United States has taken note of India's warning that the Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, which threatens up to 100 per cent tariffs on the top five purchasers of Russian energy and likely includes India, could have an adverse impact on the US-India relationship, a senior US State Department official has indicated, even as Washington acknowledged New Delhi's domestic political compulsions behind the pushback. The official said, 'Of course, the Indian government has to respond. Congress took a pretty hard approach, especially publicly. You had members of Congress calling out India in particular, so of course India has to respond. We understand that they have a domestic constituency, as do we. Like there's no sort of hard feelings on any of that kind of activity.'
MEA's Warning on Bilateral Ties
Following the passage of the Russia sanctions bill in the US House of Representatives, India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had released a statement warning of the legislation's potential impact on the US-India relationship. Donald Trump Repeats Claim He Helped End India-Pakistan Conflict, Says Shehbaz Sharif Thanked Him.
The MEA said in its statement, 'This issue has been discussed at high levels in recent months with various US interlocutors. Its potential implications for not just the bilateral relationship but also the international energy market have been very clearly articulated by the Indian side.'
National Security Waiver on the Table
The senior US official also explained that the passage of the bill gave President Donald Trump a tool that came with a 'broad national security waiver'. The official refrained from commenting on whether India would receive such a waiver but noted there were scenarios in which the US commander-in-chief could utilise the waiver authority. Donald Trump Signs US-Denmark-Greenland Deal To Bolster Arctic Security.
The Russia sanctions act was also discussed during a meeting between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, with Rubio, according to the State Department's readout, pointing out that Washington could be 'well positioned' to help countries meet their energy security needs.
US Points to Energy Diversification Push
Asked whether this meant Washington would help India diversify away from Russian energy, the official said, 'India has been looking for a long time to diversify its energy sources. They're a country that has massive energy needs. Unfortunately, Venezuelan oil was cut off, Iran was cut off, and so the options were very limited. Now, with President Trump's incredibly successful operation in Venezuela, we are moving into a better position that countries like India are going to be able to get access to that market, and that's something the Secretary (Rubio) has talked about publicly that he's working tirelessly on, and the Indians are very interested.'
Rubio's India Visit in October
The official also pointed to Washington's continued investment in the relationship with India, including through the Quad, which has met regularly throughout 2026, and to Secretary Rubio's upcoming visit to India in October, his second visit to the country this year.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 26, 2026 08:43 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
