US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has accused European countries of refusing to join Washington in imposing secondary tariffs on India and China for buying Russian oil, questioning why the United States should shoulder the economic burden of pressuring Moscow alone.
In an interview with NBC, Bessent said the Trump administration had approached its European allies in the spring to seek coordinated action against countries importing Russian energy. However, he said, the proposal was rejected.
“So we have asked, in the spring, I asked our European allies to join us in putting secondary tariffs on China, on India. They refused. So why should the US bear the burden?” Bessent said.
Bessent says Trump wants Ukraine fighting to stop
Bessent said US President Donald Trump was determined to end the fighting in Ukraine, adding that proposed sanctions legislation gave the administration time to assess the situation before proceeding with the measures.
“President Trump has made it clear he wants the killing to stop. And the so-called Graham bill gives the president the flexibility, gives him 60 days to assess the situation,” he said.
The remarks come after Trump temporarily waived certain sanctions and tariff provisions under the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026. The move allows the administration 60 days to evaluate the potential economic consequences of implementing the proposed measures.
The legislation would have authorised tariffs of up to 100 per cent on goods imported into the United States from the five largest importers of Russian-origin crude oil or natural gas, including India and China.
Bessent criticises Europe over Russian energy imports
The US Treasury Secretary also questioned Europe’s continued purchases of Russian energy, pointing to shipments from Russia’s Yamal facility.
“In the first 6 months of the year, there were 140 cargoes that left. 136 of those went to Europe, to Belgium, to Spain, to France, to the Netherlands, over USD 8 billion,” Bessent said.
He argued that European countries had continued to provide substantial revenue to Russia while supporting Ukraine.
Bessent’s comments underline Washington’s push for a more coordinated approach among its allies to increase economic pressure on Moscow over the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Rubio calls India an important ally
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday described India as an important ally, saying Washington needed to take the country’s energy requirements into account before imposing tariffs or sanctions.
“These sanctions were not just sanctions on Russia. They include tariffs on a number of countries, India, for example, and others,” Rubio said.
He added that the administration wanted to assess the potential implications of the measures for both the global economy and the US economy.
Rubio also noted that countries such as India had diversified their energy supplies but could not immediately stop importing Russian energy.
The US administration’s decision comes amid continued pressure on global energy supplies due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict and escalating tensions in the Middle East.
Bessent said Washington could approach its European partners again, reiterating his concern over why the United States should act alone in imposing economic pressure on Moscow.
(with ANI inputs)
