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On Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a meeting with India’s foreign minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, amid efforts from both nations to advance trade discussions and ease tensions related to U.S. tariffs. Although specific details of their conversation remain scarce, this interaction marks the highest-level engagement between the two countries since the U.S. imposed sanctions last week on Russian oil companies — a crucial source of India’s crude oil.
Jaishankar shared a photo on social media of himself smiling and shaking hands with Rubio, emphasizing that they “discussed our bilateral relationship along with regional and global issues.” The meeting occurred during an ASEAN summit in Malaysia, an event attended by U.S. President Donald Trump in person, while Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated via video link.
Tensions between Washington and New Delhi flared in August after Trump raised tariffs to 50%. U.S. officials accused India of contributing to Russia’s war effort in Ukraine by purchasing discounted Russian oil, which India has strongly denied. Trump claimed during a recent phone call with Modi that the Indian leader agreed to reduce Russian oil imports — a statement India has not officially confirmed.
Trump warned that India would face continued “massive” tariffs if it persisted in its Russian oil purchases. “I spoke with Prime Minister Modi, and he said he won’t be engaging in the Russian oil trade,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. When questioned about India’s assertion that Modi and Trump hadn’t discussed this issue recently, Trump responded, “Then they just have to keep paying heavy tariffs — they prefer that.”
India has become the leading buyer of Russian seaborne oil at a discount after Western countries imposed sanctions and reduced purchases. While India’s foreign ministry said it was unaware of any recent calls between the leaders, its main priority remains “protecting the interests of Indian consumers.”
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