Top US and Indian officials discuss ties as trade rift drags on

• Rubio meets Jaishankar as US-India push for trade talks.
• Contacts at the highest level after sanctions on Russian oil companies.
• The meeting on the sidelines of the Southeast Asia Summit in Malaysia.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with India’s foreign minister on Monday as the two countries push for trade talks and ease tensions over Washington’s punitive tariffs.

Few details have been released, but Rubio’s meeting with Subrahmanyam Jaishankar is the highest-level contact since the United States last week imposed sanctions on Russian oil companies, a key source of India’s crude supplies.

Jaishankar posted a photo on social media showing him smiling and shaking hands with Rubio, saying he “appreciated the discussion on our bilateral ties as well as regional and global issues.”

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Southeast Asia Summit in Malaysia, which was attended in person by US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke via video.

Relations between Washington and New Delhi soured in August after Trump raised tariffs to 50 percent, with US officials accusing India of fueling Russia’s war in Ukraine by buying Moscow’s oil at a discount.

Trump, who spoke to Modi last week by phone, claimed the Indian leader had agreed to cut Russian oil imports – something New Delhi has not commented on.

Trump warned that New Delhi would continue to pay “huge” tariffs if it did not stop buying Russian oil.

“I spoke to Prime Minister Modi of India and he said he will not deal with Russian oil,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One.

Asked about India’s claim that it was not aware of any conversation between Modi and Trump, Trump replied: “But if they want to say that, then they’re just going to keep paying huge tariffs and they don’t want to.”

India has become the biggest buyer of discounted offshore Russian oil after Western countries shunned purchases and imposed sanctions on Moscow over its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

India’s foreign ministry said it was not aware of any phone conversation between the leaders that day, but said New Delhi’s main concern was to “secure the interests of the Indian consumer”.

— With additional data from Reuters