“India has been a great partner in maintaining stable oil prices around the world. The United States recognizes ongoing purchases of Russian oil are a part of this effort,” Gor said in a post on X, adding that the country is one of the largest consumers and refiners of oil, which makes it essential for the US and India to work hand in hand for market stability for Americans and Indians.
This comes days after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that US has given “permission” to India to buy Russian oil that is on ships already floating on waterways with a view to easing supplies around the world amid the West Asia conflict.
Also read: Trump aide calls India ‘good actor’ on Russian oil purchase
“The world is very well supplied in oil. Yesterday, the Treasury agreed to let our allies in India start buying Russian oil that was already on the water,” he said in an interview to Fox Business last week.
‘India is a good actor’
“The Indians had been very good actors. We had asked them to stop buying sanctioned Russian oil this fall. They did. They were going to substitute it with US oil. But to ease the temporary gap of oil around the world, we have given them permission to accept the Russian oil. We may unsanction other Russian oil,” Bessent said.
White House officials have spoken of India as “good actors” on complying with restrictions on sanctioned crude oil purchases from Moscow.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, US Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that President Donald Trump has “temporarily permitted” India to receive Russian oil shipments amid global supply disruptions. She further described New Delhi as a “good actor” that had earlier complied with restrictions on sanctioned crude.
“We came to this decision as our allies in India have been good actors and had previously stopped buying sanctioned Russian oil. So as we work to appease this temporary gap of oil supply in the world because of the Iranians, we have temporarily permitted India to accept Russian oil,” Leavitt said.