Congress Slams Centre Over US 30-Day Russian Oil Waiver

The Congress party on Thursday criticised the Narendra Modi-led government after the United States Department of the Treasury granted a temporary 30-day waiver allowing Indian refiners to purchase Russian oil amid the escalating conflict involving Iran. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the decision aims to ensure the continued flow of oil into global markets. He added that the “deliberately short-term measure” will not significantly benefit the Russian government financially, as it only permits transactions involving oil already stranded at sea.

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Congress Questions Sovereignty Over US Oil Waiver

“India is an essential partner of the United States, and we fully anticipate that New Delhi will ramp up purchases of U.S. oil. This stop-gap measure will ease pressure created by Iran’s attempt to hold global energy supplies hostage,” Bessent said in a post on X.Reacting to the development, Congress MP Manish Tewari questioned whether India now needs approval from the US to determine its energy sources and raised concerns over the country’s sovereignty. In a post on X, he asked, “Are we a banana republic that we need the permission of the US to secure our energy security imperatives?”

Meanwhile, Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh criticised the move in a rhyming Hindi post on X, writing: “Trump ka naya khel, Dilli dost ko kaha, Putin se le sakte ho tel, kab tak chalega ye Ameriki blackmail,” suggesting the US was exerting pressure over India’s oil purchases from Vladimir Putin’s Russia.

US Details 30-Day Waiver for Russian Oil Deliveries to India

In a statement titled “Authorizing the Delivery and Sale of Crude Oil and Petroleum Products of Russian Federation Origin Loaded on Vessels as of March 5, 2026 to India,” the US Treasury provided further details of the waiver. The statement said that transactions related to the sale, delivery or offloading of Russian crude or petroleum products loaded on vessels on or before 12:01 a.m. The order permits transactions involving Russian crude or petroleum products loaded on vessels by 12:01 a.m. EST on March 5, 2026, until 12:01 a.m. EDT on April 4, 2026, provided the cargo is delivered at an Indian port. The licence also specifies that an entity organised under Indian law must purchase these Russian oil shipments. However, it makes clear that the authorisation does not extend to other restricted transactions, particularly those involving Iran or Iranian-origin goods and services prohibited under US sanctions regulations.

Earlier, the US had imposed a 25% tariff on India for continuing to import oil from Russia, arguing that such purchases were helping finance Moscow’s war against Ukraine.However, last month, the United States and India announced a framework for an interim trade agreement. Following this development, US President Donald Trump issued an executive order removing the punitive tariffs.

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