India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has reacted to the United States’ threat of imposing a massive 500% tariff on countries that continue to buy oil and other products from Russia, including India and China.
Speaking at a press conference in Washington, DC, Jaishankar said that India has already shared its concerns with US officials, especially about its energy and security needs. He responded calmly to the situation, saying, “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”
The threat comes after US Senator Lindsey Graham introduced a bill—reportedly supported by President Donald Trump—that would punish countries that support Russia’s economy during the Ukraine war. Graham said:
“If you’re buying from Russia and not helping Ukraine, there will be a 500% tariff on your goods entering the US.”
He claimed that India and China buy around 70% of Russia’s oil, helping fund the war in Ukraine. His bill already has 84 co-sponsors in Congress.
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What could it mean for India?
Since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war in February 2022, India shifted a large part of its oil imports from the Middle East to Russia, mainly because Russian oil was cheaper due to Western sanctions.
In fact, Russian oil now makes up about 40–44% of India’s total crude oil imports, compared to less than 1% before the war. In May 2025, India imported 1.96 million barrels of oil per day from Russia.
What’s next?
For now, Jaishankar has not committed to any change but made it clear that India is watching developments in the US closely and will respond if necessary.
