The U.S. has "temporarily permitted" India to "accept" Russian oil already on ships in the sea to ensure energy supplies amid the conflict with Iran, and the short-term measure will not provide significant financial benefit to Moscow, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has said.
President Donald Trump, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and the whole national security team "came to this decision because our allies in India have been good actors and have previously stopped buying sanctioned Russian oil", Ms. Leavitt told a press conference at the White House on Tuesday (March 10, 2026).
India importing more Russian oil could help, but earlier discount may not be available
"So as we work to appease this temporary gap of oil supply around the world because of the Iranians, we have temporarily permitted them (India) to accept that Russian oil. And this Russian oil was already at sea. It was already out on the water. So this short-term measure, we do not believe it will provide significant financial benefit to the Russian government at this time," she said.
Ms. Leavitt was responding to a question on the U.S. issuing a 30-day waiver to India to purchase Russian oil in the backdrop of the escalating West Asia conflict.
