US Ambassador Sergio Gor backs India's Russian oil purchases: ‘Great partner’ in global price stability
US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor has publicly endorsed India's ongoing purchases of Russian oil, saying Washington recognises them as part of efforts to maintain stable global oil prices. Here's what his statement means for India-US energy ties.
The United States has formally endorsed India's continued purchase of Russian oil, with US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor stating publicly that Washington not only recognises but supports India's role in maintaining stable global energy prices, a significant diplomatic signal amid the escalating Iran-US conflict that has roiled international oil markets.
What Sergio Gor Said
In a post on social media, Sergio Gor wrote: "India has been a great partner in maintaining stable oil prices around the world. The United States recognises that ongoing purchases of Russian oil are a part of this effort. India is one of the largest consumers and refiners of oil and it is essential for the United States and India to work hand in hand for market stability for Americans and Indians."
The Iran War Context
The statement comes in the wake of the Trump administration's decision to issue India a 30-day waiver allowing it to purchase Russian oil already at sea without facing US penalties, a policy shift driven by surging fuel prices triggered by disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
With Iraq cutting output, Kuwait declaring force majeure and Iranian mine-laying threatening the world's most critical oil chokepoint, Washington appears to be recalibrating its energy priorities rapidly, and India sits at the centre of that recalculation.
White House labels India As a 'Good Actor'
The ambassador's remarks were preceded by an equally pointed statement from the White House.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, speaking at a media briefing, confirmed that the United States had "permitted" India to temporarily purchase Russian oil in the wake of disruptions to global energy supplies caused by the West Asia conflict.
When asked whether she had discussed the matter with the President, Leavitt was unequivocal, "I have spoken to the President about it, and the Secretary of the Treasury and the whole National Security team came to this decision because our allies like India have been good actors and previously stopped buying sanctioned Russian oil. So as we work to appease this temporary gap of oil supply around the world, because of the Iranians, we have temporarily permitted them to accept Russian oil."
Leavitt added that the measure was short-term and would not provide significant financial benefit to Russia.
The 30-Day Waiver on Russian Oil Purchase and What It Means
The diplomatic endorsements follow a concrete policy decision: US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced a 30-day waiver allowing India to purchase Russian oil already at sea without facing American penalties.
The move marks a striking reversal of Washington's longstanding position. Russian oil sanctions were originally designed to maintain economic pressure on Moscow over the war in Ukraine — a goal that now appears to be subordinated to the more immediate priority of stabilising global energy markets amid the Iran crisis.
The waiver effectively grants India diplomatic cover, framing its Russian oil purchases not as a sanctions workaround but as a contribution to global market stability.
Trump's Warning to Iran Over Strait of Hormuz Mines
The waivers and endorsements come against the backdrop of a sharply deteriorating security situation in the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump issued a blunt warning to Tehran, stating: "If Iran has put out any mines in the Hormuz Strait, and we have no reports of them doing so, we want them removed, IMMEDIATELY! If for any reason mines were placed, and they are not removed forthwith, the Military consequences to Iran will be at a level never seen before. If, on the other hand, they remove what may have been placed, it will be a giant step in the right direction! Additionally, we are using the same Technology and Missile capabilities deployed against Drug Traffickers to permanently eliminate any boat or ship attempting to mine the Hormuz Strait. They will be dealt with quickly and violently."
The US military subsequently destroyed 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels near the strait in a preemptive strike.
About the Author
Sayantani Biswas is an assistant editor at Livemint with seven years of experience covering geopolitics, foreign policy, international relations and global power dynamics. She reports on Indian and international politics, including elections worldwide, and specialises in historically grounded analysis of contemporary conflicts and state decisions. She joined Mint in 2021, after covering politics at publications including The Telegraph. <br> She holds an MPhil in Comparative Literature from Jadavpur University (2019), with a specialisation in postcolonial Latin American literature. Her research examined economic nationalism through Eduardo Galeano’s Open Veins of Latin America. She also writes on political language, cultural memory and the long shadows of conflict. <br> Biswas grew up in Durgapur, an industrial town in West Bengal shaped by migration, which drew families from across India to the Durgapur Steel Plant. As the only child in a joint family, she spent years listening—almost obsessively—to her grandparents’ testimonies of struggle, fear and loss as they fled Bangladesh during the Partition of 1947. This formative exposure to lived historical memory later converged with her training in Comparative Literature, equipping her to analyse socio-economic structures and their reverberations. <br> Outside the newsroom, she gravitates towards cultural history and critical theory, returning often to texts such as Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed. As a journalist, she is committed to accuracy, intellectual rigour and fairness, and believes political reporting demands not only clarity and speed, but historical depth, contextual precision, and a disciplined resistance to spectacle.