US Threatens China With 500 Percent Tariffs Over Russian Oil, Gives Special Message To India

Washington: US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reiterated the possibility of a 500 percent tariff on countries importing oil from Russia, sending a positive message to India. He said that India had significantly reduced its oil trade with Russia after a 25 percent tariff was imposed. He also directly targeted China, stating that a decision on the 500 percent tariff would be made soon.

What did US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent say?

Speaking about the Russia sanctions bill, he said that the US would impose a 500 percent tariff on some countries. Bessent said in an interview that every effort would be made to pass the proposal put forward by Senator Graham. White House officials also warned Europe, citing its continued purchase of oil from Russia.

"Europe is also buying oil from Russia. In a few years, it will be fighting a war against itself and funding it," Bessent said. 

He said that when the US imposed a 25 percent tariff on India, it stopped buying oil from Russia. Targeting China, he said that the US was considering imposing a 500 percent tariff on it.

What is message of Russia for India?

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday praised Moscow's bilateral relations with Delhi and Beijing and called for the resumption of Russia-India-China (RIC) trilateral talks, saying that the global order should be multipolar. Lavrov reviewed the achievements of Russian diplomacy in 2025 at his annual press conference.

"I would also like to mention that our partnership with India is of paramount importance, especially from a strategic point of view, under which President (Vladimir) Putin visited India last December," Lavrov said.

Putin visited India last month for a two-day trip for the 23rd India-Russia annual summit. The Russian Foreign Minister also called for the resumption of the Russia-India-China (RIC) trilateral dialogue, which has been suspended since the violent clash between Indian and Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley in 2020. 

"We should resume the RIC trilateral dialogue, which is, in a way, the foundation of BRICS and is essential for a multipolar world," Lavrov said. 

"The global order must be multipolar. It cannot be unipolar or bipolar.  Several poles of economic development already exist in the world," he added.