India’s purchase of Russian oil is a ‘point of irritation’ in ties: Marco Rubio

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON: India’s purchases of Russian oil are helping to sustain Moscow’s war efforts in Ukraine, and it is “most certainly a point of irritation” in Delhi’s relationship with Washington, US secretary of state Marco Rubio said Thursday.“Look, global trade – India is an ally. It’s a strategic partner. Like anything in foreign policy, you’re not going to align 100% of the time on everything,” Rubio said in an interview with Fox Radio.Rubio acknowledged India has “huge energy needs and that includes the ability to buy oil and coal and gas and things that it needs to power its economy like every country does, and it buys it from Russia, because Russian oil is sanctioned and cheap and – meaning they have to – in many cases, they’re selling it under the global price because of the sanctions.”He added that “unfortunately, that is helping to sustain the Russian war effort. So, it is most certainly a point of irritation in our relationship with India – not the only point of irritation. We also have many other points of cooperation with them.“But I think what you’re seeing the President express is the very clear frustration that with so many other oil vendors available, India continues to buy so much from Russia, which in essence is helping to fund the war effort” and allowing the war to continue in Ukraine, he said.