New York, USA – In their first meeting since the United States enacted the Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act (SRIA), External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar raised concerns about the law with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in New York on Wednesday. The bilateral meeting took place on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session, and Rubio is scheduled to travel to India next month.
In a social media post, Jaishankar said he had “reiterated India’s interests and concerns with regard to SRIA” and discussed the situations in Ukraine and Iran. “Good to meet Secretary Marco Rubio of the US at UN High Level Week. Reiterated India’s interests and concerns with regard to SRIA. Also discussed the Gulf and Ukraine situations,” he posted on X. Rubio, in his own post, said, “Together, we are building on the US-India strategic partnership and coordinating on key regional priorities and upcoming multilateral efforts.” The readout from the State Department stated that the two also discussed sanctions that could be levelled against states that engage economically with Russia and Iran, with Rubio emphasising that the United States remains “well-positioned to help regional partners address their energy security challenges.”
President Donald Trump signed the SRIA into law last week, giving himself the authority to impose tariffs of up to 100% on countries that continue to buy Russian oil and gas. India and China are among the major purchasers of Russian crude. In a strongly worded reaction to the U.S. Congress passing the Act, the Ministry of External Affairs had said it conveyed to various U.S. interlocutors in recent months that the move would have “implications” for both the India-U.S. bilateral relationship and the international energy market if India is pressured to drop its intake of Russian Ural, which currently makes up 51% of India’s total crude oil imports.
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After the meeting, Rubio sidestepped the issue in his public post, focusing instead on the strategic partnership. The U.S. Secretary of State later said the law gives President Trump tariff authority that can be used as a tool of U.S. national policy and to influence the Russia-Ukraine conflict. “The law gives the President tariff authority. It’s the first time I think in like 70 years that Congress has granted the President tariff authority,” Rubio said, adding that the decision on whether and how to use the authority rests with Trump. The meeting comes at a time when Delhi and Washington are trying to firm up a bilateral trade deal after months of negotiations. Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal had said earlier this week that trade talks with the United States were “moving fast and in a good direction.” Jaishankar is in New York to lead India’s delegation at the UNGA and will address the body on Saturday.
