India-Russia Oil Deal: The United States has reiterated its concerns over India’s continued imports of discounted Russian oil, with US Energy Secretary Chris Wright describing it as a “source of friction” even as he emphasized Washington’s desire to expand energy cooperation with New Delhi. Speaking to the media, Chris Wright said that India can have other alternatives if it stops buying oil from Russia. The statement comes a day after US President Donald Trump’s remarks at the UNGA, where he called India and China the biggest funders of Russia.
Wright acknowledged India’s growing energy needs but urged New Delhi to diversify its suppliers. “There are lots of oil exporters in the world. India doesn’t need to buy Russian oil. India buys Russian oil because it is cheaper. Nobody wants to buy Russian oil; they have to sell it at a discount. India has decided to make the trade-off to buy cheaper oil and look the other way, which is giving money to a guy who’s murdering thousands of people every week,” he said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Wright stressed that Washington’s objective was not to “punish India” but to bring the war in Ukraine to an end while strengthening bilateral relations. “You can buy oil from every nation on the earth, just not Russian oil. That’s our position. America has oil to sell, so does everybody else. We don’t want to punish India. We want to end the war, and we want to grow our relations with India,” he added.
Highlighting President Donald Trump’s focus on global stability, Wright said: “President Trump’s greatest passion is peace in the world… We are trying to find the most creative ways to bring this war to an end. It would have the additional benefit of removing a source of friction. I am all in on energy and trade cooperation with India. There’s a bright future there, but somehow we have to figure out how to work together to put the maximum pressure to bring the war to an end.”
The US Energy Secretary confirmed that he has already begun discussions with Indian leaders. “I met the Indian foreign minister on the inauguration night and began a dialogue about cooperation and the future pathway between our countries,” he said. On a question regarding Trump’s earlier claim that America could develop Pakistan’s oil reserves and sell the output to India, Wright admitted, “I haven’t looked at that or spoken to US companies about it yet.”
The comments underline Washington’s balancing act: pressing India to reduce reliance on Moscow while simultaneously courting closer cooperation in natural gas, coal, nuclear, and oil trade.