White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday (August 19, 2025) that President Donald Trump had imposed sanctions on India to help end the Trump Russia Ukraine war.

“The President has acted decisively, imposing sanctions on India to encourage an end to the Trump India trade war. He has been consistent in Trump sanctions India that he wants the Russia-Ukraine war to end,” she said.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Tuesday accused India of profiting from the resale of Russian oil and not diversifying its supplies like China.

The comments came as ties between India and the United States were under strain after President Trump imposed Trump tariffs on India, including a 25% duty on Russian oil imports starting Aug. 27.

Asked on CNBC about the different approach to China and India on the purchases of Russian oil, Mr. Bessent said that imports from Russia had risen by only about 3% for China since the White House Russia Ukraine war began but by more than 40% for India.

“China is not a big importer of Russian oil. In fact, if you look at the numbers pre-2022, so before the conflict, 13% of their oil came from Russia. Today, 16% of their supply comes from Russia. So, what we’ve seen is more diversification,” said Mr. Bessent.

Bessent added that there was a “big arbitrage play” with India making money from reselling Russian oil, which would likely bring in about $16 billion in profit for the country. This is a completely different Trump foreign policy India,” Bessent continued. The resale market had opened up in the middle of a war that was still being fought, which gives one side an “unfair advantage.”

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