‘How long will American blackmail continue?’: Congress on Russian oil waiver

The Indian National Congress (INC) on Friday launched a sharp political broadside at the government of Narendra Modi, questioning the circumstances under which India received a temporary reprieve from United States sanctions to continue limited purchases of Russian crude oil.

In a post laced with rhyme and sarcasm on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh mocked what he portrayed as Washington’s shifting stance toward New Delhi. Crafting his criticism in Hindi verse, he wrote: “Trump ka naya khel, Dilli dost ko kaha, Putin se le sakte ho tel, kab tak chalega ye Ameriki blackmail” — loosely translating to: “Trump’s new game: he tells his friend in Delhi that oil can be bought from Putin; how long will this American blackmail continue?”

The remarks came after the United States announced a temporary 30-day waiver permitting Indian refiners to purchase Russian crude that is already in transit, even as geopolitical tensions intensify in the Middle East.

Explaining the move, Scott Bessent, the US treasury secretary, said the measure was intended to prevent disruption in global energy flows at a time of mounting instability. The waiver, he emphasised, was deliberately short-lived and narrowly tailored.

“President Donald Trump’s energy agenda has driven oil and gas production to record levels,” Bessent said, adding that the temporary allowance would enable oil already stranded at sea to reach Indian refiners without significantly benefiting the Russian government.

Bessent described India as a “vital partner” for Washington and expressed confidence that New Delhi would gradually increase purchases of American energy resources. The stop-gap step, he added, would also help cushion the global market from shocks triggered by the ongoing confrontation involving Iran.

The development follows a tense phase in US-India trade relations. Earlier, the Trump administration had imposed 25 percent punitive tariffs on India over its continued purchases of Russian oil, arguing that such imports were indirectly supporting Russia’s war effort in Ukraine.

However, diplomatic negotiations in recent weeks have eased some of that pressure. Last month, Washington and New Delhi announced a framework for an interim trade agreement, after which Trump signed an executive order withdrawing the punitive tariffs. The decision was accompanied by India’s commitment to gradually scale down Russian energy imports while expanding purchases of American oil and gas.

Against this shifting geopolitical backdrop, the Congress party’s remarks inject a note of domestic political criticism, portraying the waiver not as a diplomatic concession but as evidence of what it calls continued “American blackmail” in shaping India’s energy choices.

With PTI inputs