'US Urged India To Buy Russian Oil Already Floating At Sea To Tamp Down Fears Of Supply Shortages': Energy Secretary

The United States asked India to buy Russian oil already afloat and route it to Indian refineries to calm supply fears and price spikes tied to the West Asia conflict, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said. He and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Indian officials the move targets cargoes queued for Chinese refineries. Washington cast it as a short, pragmatic measure, not a shift on Russia. A Treasury licence permits sales and offloading of Russian-origin crude loaded by March 5 until April 4, if delivered to an Indian port by an India-organised buyer.