Published: January 29, 2026 12:38 pm
Author: RT
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had expected Brussels to match Washington’s tariff on New Delhi over Russian oil
Washington is disappointed with the European Union’s trade deal with India, a top official in the Trump administration has said.
Europe has been purchasing refined products made in India with sanctioned Russian oil, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC on Wednesday.
“They should do what’s best for themselves, but I will tell you, I found, I find the Europeans very disappointing,” he said.
Bessent said the India-EU deal makes it evident why the trade bloc was wary of joining the US decision to impose a 25% tariff on India last August.
US Treasury Secretary Says Europeans ‘Have Put Trade Ahead Of Ukrainian People’ By Trading With India
📹 CNBC pic.twitter.com/QUcBp2m8jx
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“The Europeans were unwilling to join us, and it turns out, because they wanted to do this trade deal,” Bessent said. The US imposed a 50% tariff on India in August, 2025, half of which was due to its oil purchases from Russia.
“So every time you hear a European talk about the importance of the Ukrainian people, remember that they put trade ahead of the Ukrainian people,” Bessent said.
India and the EU finalized a trade deal at a summit in New Delhi on Tuesday, as the South Asian nation and the European bloc aim to negotiate an expanding US tariff regime.
Bessent’s comments came amid escalating tensions after US President Donald Trump threatened to raise tariffs on some European countries due to their opposition to his Greenland annexation plans. Trump later dropped the threat.
Earlier this month, Bessent had claimed that India’s purchases of Russian oil had halted following the tariff imposed by Trump.
New Delhi was facing increasing pressure from Washington to stop buying Russian oil in recent months as the White House sought to compel Moscow to settle the Ukraine conflict.
India’s oil minister on Wednesday admitted that purchases of oil from Russia were on a downtrend, but attributed it to market conditions and New Delhi’s diversification of sources.
