New Delhi: US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Thursday, July 31, has criticised India's trade posture and its imports of Russian oil, which the US has placed on sanction. Bessent saying that New Delhi "has not been a great global actor” has potential to further hurt the Indian government at a sensitive time.  

"Well, I don't know what's going to happen," Bessent told CNBC TV when asked what will now happen to the US-India trade deal after President Trump's latest comments against India, especially on its economy being “dead”. 

He said, "It'll be up to India. They came to the table early, but they've been slow-rolling things. So I think the president and the whole trade team have been frustrated with them. Also, India has been a large buyer of sanctioned Russian oil, which they then resell as refined products. So, they have not been a great global actor."

The Indian government, whose global and domestic pitch is tied up with projecting India as a great global actor, has received a setback with the US Treasury Secretary’s remarks. There has been no response from India to Bessent’s remarks, as of now.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has told Fox Radio in an interview that while India's purchases of Russian oil, assisting Moscow's to sustain its war in Ukraine, and though it is "most certainly a point of irritation" in India’s relationship with the US, it is not the only point of irritation.

Rubio said that the US President is frustrated with the fact that India continues to purchase Russian oil despite having so many other oil vendors as alternatives open to it.

“India has huge energy needs and that includes the ability to buy oil and coal and gas and things that it needs to power its economy like every country does, and it buys it from Russia, because Russian oil is sanctioned and cheap. In many cases, they’re selling it under the global price because of the sanctions,” Rubio said.

"Unfortunately, that is helping to sustain the Russian war effort. So, it is most certainly a point of irritation in our relationship with India – not the only point of irritation.”

“We also have many other points of cooperation with them," the US Secretary of State added.

India’s Union minister for commerce and industry Piyush Goyal on Thursday (July 31) gave a seven-minute long statement in the Lok Sabha, saying that the government is “examining the impact” of 25% tariffs announced by the US.

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