'India Has Options': US Energy Secretary Says 'They Don't Want To Punish New Delhi But...'

Washington:

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright has said that they don’t want to punish India, but it is continuing to purchase Russian oil while having plenty of other sources and this is what is funding Vladimir Putin to carry out fighting in Ukraine.Chris Wright said that Russian oil is indirectly funding ongoing atrocities in Ukraine, as he highlighted that there is potential for stronger energy and trade cooperation between the US and India.

Wright said that India is buying Russian oil because it’s cheaper, adding that nobody wants to buy Russian oil otherwise.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIj2pRpjJ7k

"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," Wright said.In another statement, the Energy Secretary further said, "India can buy oil from every nation on the Earth — just not Russian oil," adding, "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."

Speaking further, the Energy Secretary said, "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."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvuqT8n31K4&t=2s

Wright on Meeting EAM S Jaishankar On engaging with Indian leadership, Wright said he met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on the inauguration night and initiated a dialogue on future cooperation."I met the Indian foreign minister S Jaishankar on the inauguration night and began a dialogue about cooperation and the future pathway between our countries. Russia trying to find peace in Ukraine is a sticky thing. We are both within the cabinet in the United States and with our allies, trying to find the most creative ways to bring this war to an end," he said.Wright emphasised the priority of ending the conflict while strengthening US-India ties.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sjwgWam1Ek

"President (Trump) wants nothing more than this war to end, and 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," he said.In August 2025, the Trump administration imposed a 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods, raising the total tariff burden to 50 per cent, due to India's continued oil imports from Russia.The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) criticised the move, terming it "unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable", and reiterated that India's energy policy is governed by market dynamics and its need to ensure affordable energy access for its 1.4 billion citizens. "The United States has targeted India's oil imports from Russia. We have already made clear our position... our imports are based on market factors and aimed at ensuring energy security for 1.4 billion Indians," said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.

With inputs from ANI