Amid ongoing trade tensions between India and the U.S., former U.S. ambassador to India Eric Garcetti, in a now-viral video, revealed that it was actually the United States that had encouraged New Delhi to buy oil from Moscow in order to help stabilize global prices.
At the 2024 Conference on Diversity in International Affairs, she said “they bought Russian oil because we wanted somebody to buy Russian oil at a price cap. That was not a violation or anything. It was actually the design of the policy because, as a commodity, we didn’t want the oil prices going up, and they fulfilled that.” He was serving as the ambassador then.
As tensions escalate following Trump’s warnings and India’s strong pushback, the clip has gone viral amid the controversy on X, reigniting conversations around earlier statements by senior U.S. officials who had, at the time, openly backed India’s decision to continue oil trade with Russia.
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Back in 2022, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen had stated was free in buying Russian oil, even if the purchases exceeded the established price cap. India and its private oil companies “can also purchase oil at any price they want as long as they don’t use these Western services and they find other services. And either way is fine,” said Yellen to Reuters.
“India has played a key role in efforts to stabilize global energy markets through its purchases of Russian crude,” told U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Geoffrey Pyatt in 2024 while praising India’s instrumental role with Russia in oil trade.
India continues to be the top importer of Russian crude shipped by sea. Dismissing recent claims that Indian companies were pulling back from this trade, the government clarified earlier this week that its oil purchases are guided by a mix of market considerations especially competitive pricing. Echoing this, Garcetti pointed out that the U.S. itself had urged India to continue buying Russian oil as part of a broader effort to keep global energy prices in check.
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Even India’s capital’s reply to the Trump administration pressure and remarks, mentioned that “the United States at that time actively encouraged such imports by India for strengthening global energy market stability.” The Indian government’s response reads, “India’s imports are meant to ensure predictable and affordable energy costs to the Indian consumer. They are a necessity compelled by the global market situation. However, it is revealing that the very nations criticizing India are themselves indulging in trade with Russia. Unlike our case, such trade is not even a vital national compulsion.”
Currently, U.S. tariffs on certain Indian goods stand at around 25%. However, the Trump administration would consider imposing tariffs of up to 100% if India continues its trade with Russia.