Trump aide says Indian envoy asked him to scrap 25% US tariffs, claims New Delhi buying less Russian oil

US Senator Lindsey Graham made a surprising claim on Sunday, stating that Indian Ambassador to the United States Vinay Mohan Kwatra had requested the Trump administration to waive the 25% additional tariff it charges New Delhi for purchasing Russian oil last month.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One alongside Trump, Graham said that Kwatra had spoken to him last month and asked him to tell Donald Trump to lift the US tariffs because India is now buying less Russian oil.

“I was at the Indian Ambassador's house a month ago, and all he wanted to talk about was how India is buying less Russian oil. And he asked me to tell the President to relieve the 25% tariff,” Graham said.

However, New Delhi has not officially confirmed Graham's claims that India has lowered its Russian oil purchase.

Trump's fresh warning to India

Lindsey Graham's claim about India comes as US President Donald Trump has warned New Delhi of more US tariffs over its continued imports of Russian oil.

“PM Modi's a very good man. He's a good guy. He knew I was not happy. It was important to make me happy. They do trade, and we can raise tariffs on them very quickly,” Trump said.

Trump's new warning to India comes amid growing scrutiny in Washington over India's energy trade with Russia, even as New Delhi has defended its oil purchases as essential for domestic energy security.

The comments also come just weeks after Trump and Prime Minister Modi held a telephonic conversation, during which both leaders stressed the importance of maintaining momentum in bilateral trade ties despite ongoing tariff-related tensions.

The call coincided with the launch of a fresh round of negotiations between Indian and US officials aimed at resolving the long-standing trade impasse. Only days before the conversation with Modi, Trump had threatened to impose new tariffs on Indian rice imports.

The warning followed complaints raised by a US farmer representative at a White House roundtable, who alleged dumping by India, China and Thailand.

Meanwhile, the recent US strike on Venezuela has brought the issue of oil to the forefront of geopolitics once again. Venezuela has massive oil reserves, which total over 303 billion barrels, making them the world's largest proven reserves. However, production has dwindled to 1 million barrels per day due to US sanctions and underinvestment. Venezuela holds the world's largest proven oil reserves (estimated at over 300 billion barrels), which represent roughly 17% of the total global oil supply, OPEC data shows.